Reporting atrocities to the world

On the fourth day of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, journalists are rushing to write the right words, take images and film videos of the atrocities of Israeli actions; some journalists work day and night, and who left their friends and family behind for the sake of their country.Their words are: “breaking news from Gaza”, “we were just informed”, “official sources said”, “he urged/asserted/stated”… Journalist Imad al-Faranji, director of Al Quds TV in Gaza said Palestinian journalists have a sense of nationalism and were able to portray the true struggles of the Palestinian people during this time. In an exclusive interview with Arabstoday Al-Faranji said: “The truth will prevail as long as these journalists are here." Abdel Halem Jaber, journalist for Aqsa Radio in Gaza said he only slept for three or four hours and has not left Al-Shifa hospital so he could report on the casualties as they come in. Saleh al-Masry from al-Kawthar channel said: “Covering wars is always difficult, but as a journalist, you are filled with a sense of duty to report the truth about what’s going on.” He said online media was vital and powerful in this case because it is capable of sharing images, video and news stories much more efficiently and faster to people all over the world. Al-Masry said it is dangerous to be a reporter in the midst of war because war does not differentiate between civilians and soldiers. He said many journalists were killed when covering the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza. Journalist Abdel al-Nasser Abou Awn said he has worked non-stop and long hours as part of his channel’s coverage of Gaza. “Reporting is just like the activist fighting for a cause. We are fighting to tell the truth and change public opinion.” Reporter for “Max Maan” Ibrahim Faten, while in a hurry to rush to a scene of another explosion in Gaza, said journalist reported what is actually happening in Gaza in order to present an objective image of the Israeli attack on Gaza. Director of Al-Manar TV in Gaza Imad Eid was up all night working on his laptop on breaking stories on Gaza. He said Palestinian reporters have the background knowledge and expertise to truly present a picture of the current situation in Gaza. “Palestinian reporters have the biggest responsibility to report this story. They have to deal with the sensitivity of the issue and also must find the balance between objectivity and the truth,” Eid said. He said media is the powerful tool at the hands of Palestine at the moment.  He also stressed that reporters need to be accurate and not rush, because that could result in disastrous mistakes.