Truth matters. It’s journalistic integrity 101. When PBS host Christiane Amanpour championed her belief that journalists should “be truthful, not neutral,” we expected her to uphold that standard herself. But during a recent interview with author Reza Aslan, Amanpour’s commitment to truth fell flat.
This isn’t about disputing the tragedy of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. No one is denying the significance, the pain, or the complexities of this issue. But reporting on its magnitude requires honesty —one that was sorely lacking in Amanpour’s show last week when sensationalized, unverified casualty estimates from Gaza were presented without question.
Aslan was on the show to promote his new children’s book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He spoke about the severity of the strife, harpooning viewers with the statement, “over the last seven months of this conflict… some 14,000 children have been killed in Gaza.”. This is a horrific narrative. But it’s also one that has been heavily scrutinized and disputed, with critics insisting that the numbers used by Hamas, upon which the U.N. based its reports, are greatly exaggerated. They were proven correct when the U.N. recently slashed its casualty estimates in half, conceding evident discrepancies.
We would expect at this point for Amanpour to correct the record. As a leading journalist, it is her duty to question, critique, and bring forth the truth, more so when reporting on an issue as complex and contentious as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This didn’t happen. Amanpour remained silent and let the flawed statistics stand uncorrected.
There’s no doubt the conflict has caused immeasurable devastation. Aslan claims that his book is an opportunity to teach our children compassion, empathy, and critical thinking. That’s commendable, but doesn’t accuracy factor into that equation? For any sort of meaningful discourse, we need to understand and openly discuss the root causes, complexities, and human impact of the conflict. And that starts with getting the facts straight.
News consumers expect, and deserve, a fair rendition of factual events, especially when it’s about an issue as contentious as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Arguing that the situation is complex and requires understanding from both sides shouldn’t justify using incorrect figures to gain a certain narrative foothold. If Aslan and Amanpour truly aim to enlighten their audience on this contentious issue, they should begin with accuracy in their portrayal.
In the end, it all boils down to the power and responsibility of the media to shape narratives and form public opinion. Misreporting, intentionally or otherwise, is not just a lapse in responsibility, it is an affront to the audience’s trust. And if journalists don’t stand for truth, what do they stand for? A fair, balanced and ultimately truthful report is the minimum we should expect from them.
