Did You See Trump's Post about Rosie O'Donnell?
Dems Don’t Have a Prayer
Some Questions For RFK In The Senate Today
Nuclear Past and Future
Obama: Yes on Mamdani. Yes on Reparations?
Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill Offers Rural Hospitals a Lifeline — And Democrats Can’t...
Is Intel the First Step Toward a US Sovereign Wealth Fund?
A Lesson for New York City From Canada
Is This the James Comey of Trump's Second Term?
The Only One Defrauding Unicoin’s Investors is the SEC
Trump Doctrine Actually Engages in Global Conflicts
The Real Crime: Fatherlessness
Florida to End Vaccine Mandate
Troops Might Already Be in Chicago, Leaked Memo Says
OPINION

Shaping Opinion

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
AP Photo/Kin Cheung

NEW ROSS, Ireland - Traveling the world as I have this summer exposed not only different opinions about major issues, but also a difference in how journalists in free countries and propagandists in unfree ones report them.

Advertisement

Sadly, much of the journalism in free countries is too often behaving like propagandists in unfree countries. The result is that people who consume "news" that tends to reflect one point of view now accept that point of view as their own. They reject, sometimes strongly, a different point of view and information that counters theirs.

At the Kennedy Summer School I found this to be true. While an audience was receptive and seemingly appreciative of my appearance, when the time for questions came around things took a different turn. One question was about Gaza and Israel's "genocide." As I explained the history of Israel and the numerous attempts to eradicate the Jewish people as far back as the events described in the Old Testament book of Esther, the booing began. They didn't want to hear it. Their minds had been made up, apparently from watching RTE, BBC, Sky News and reading the liberal Irish Times and The Guardian newspapers.

It's the same with "climate change." The TV networks interview only those who believe it and no one who has any contrary opinion and information to support it. "Reporting" one side of an issue is what propagandists do.

Back to Gaza.

The recent Israeli attack on a building reportedly containing a device that tracked the movements of Israeli troops resulted in the deaths of several journalists and others who declared themselves journalists. The media and media organizations condemned the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he "deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza," adding that Israel "values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians" and that the military was conducting a "thorough investigation."

Advertisement

The media regularly ignore that Hamas hides inside hospitals, schools and other civilian locations so when Israel goes after those targets - even warning people in advance to get out - civilians are sometimes killed to the propaganda advantage of the terrorists.

Palestinian Media Watch founder Itamar Marcus writes in the Jerusalem Post: "One of the shocking phenomena of the Israel-Hamas War is that all of the journalists are reporting the same Hamas lies and propaganda so that there's only one story coming out of Gaza.

"The foreign media is uniformly blaming Israel for the so-called starvation in Gaza and following Hamas' propaganda strategy, often broadcasting completely fictitious images. The impact on Israel's image in the world has been terrible, with polls showing that even American support for Israel is eroding."

The propaganda war is important because it shapes public opinion. Public opinion is important because it influences governments (except in totalitarian states where polls are rarely taken and only a singular point of view from the dictators is fed to the masses).

I wish I could have questioned those booing at The Kennedy School. Do they know that Hamas and other terror groups believe they have a religious mandate to eliminate Israel and kill Jews? Can they name the river and the sea that U.S. protesters chant when demonstrating for Hamas and the people in Gaza, suggesting they are on the side of those who seek Israel's eradication? What do they read and watch?

Advertisement

Booing a speaker is the equivalent of putting both hands over your ears, resulting in a one-dimensional mindset brought to you by a one-sided media that no longer qualifies as journalism.

Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.

Join Townhall VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement