Media’s Savior Complex Warps Hamas/Israel Coverage

The coverage in the United States of the war between Israel and Hamas is comically lopsided in the Palestinians’ favor. That much is not in question. But the reasons for the disparity are worth teasing out.

One view holds that a considerable number of reporters and editors stateside are simply anti-Israel, if not outright antisemitic. But a more complicated, less sinister explanation might be that the skewed coverage is simply a product of that paternalistic belief held by so many American newsmen that says it’s their duty to “protect” readers and special-interest groups from news coverage that may feed various -isms and phobias. It’s a savior complex wherein they pull their punches, leaning heavily into ludicrous euphemisms and obscuring facts and reality, because they believe that, in their capacity as information gatekeepers, it’s their responsibility to manage the public’s perceptions and emotions.

About the Author

Becket Adams

Becket Adams is a columnist for National Review, the Washington Examiner, and The Hill.

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The coverage in the United States of the war between Israel and Hamas is comically lopsided in the Palestinians’ favor. That much is not in question. But the reasons for the disparity are worth teasing out.

One view holds that a considerable number of reporters and editors stateside are simply anti-Israel, if not outright antisemitic. But a more complicated, less sinister explanation might be that the skewed coverage is simply a product of that paternalistic belief held by so many American newsmen that says it’s their duty to “protect” readers and special-interest groups from news coverage that may feed various -isms and phobias. It’s a savior complex wherein they pull their punches, leaning heavily into ludicrous euphemisms and obscuring facts and reality, because they believe that, in their capacity as information gatekeepers, it’s their responsibility to manage the public’s perceptions and emotions.