Jews in Russia targeted by anti-Israel mob; US media follows suit.
Media Downplays Violent Mob Rampage at Russian Airport Targeting Jews
As a violent mob rampaged through an airport in Dagestan, Russia, on Sunday in search of Jews, U.S. news headlines made the attempted pogrom sound like a rowdy political protest. It was the media’s latest failure to frankly report on an international surge of anti-Semitism in response to Israel’s war of self-defense against Hamas.
Washington Post: ”Protesters Storm Russian Airport To Try To Block Plane From Tel Aviv”
New York Times: “Mob Storms Plane Arriving in Russia From Tel Aviv, Authorities Say”
Associated Press: “Crowd Storms Russian Airport To Protest Flight From Israel”
CNN: ”At Least 10 Injured as Crowd Storms Russian Airport After Flight Arrives From Tel Aviv, Officials Say.”
Reuters: “Police Take Control of Russia’s Dagestan Airport After Anti-Israeli Protests.”
Amid backlash, some of the outlets improved their headlines overnight to at least allude to the mob’s targeting of Jews.
The early headlines of the antisemitic mob storming a Russian airport are so bad that even the media noticed.
Yesterday // Today pic.twitter.com/xKobrd3AQD
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) October 30, 2023
There is no reason the initial headline couldn’t have been the updated one, CNN pic.twitter.com/lAJb8RXVTP
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) October 30, 2023
For some reason the original link to Reuters’ story describing a lynch mob hunting Jews in Dagestan as ‘anti-Israeli protests” now routes to a different piece. pic.twitter.com/uPKLc75J2C
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) October 30, 2023
The media had enough information to get it right the first time. The Washington Post, the New York Times, and CNN cited already-circulating social media footage that clearly showed the mob was hunting Jews.
When word spread that a plane from Tel Aviv was landing in Dagestan, Russia, a mob stormed the airport in what can only be described as a modern-day pogrom. pic.twitter.com/1G6phfdraz
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) October 29, 2023
BREAKING:
The lynch mob which stormed the airport in Dagestan, Russia to search for Jews as a plane was landing from Tel Aviv has found its first ‘suspected Jew”
He tells them he is Uzbek, but they don’t believe him
‘Take his passport, search his phone” pic.twitter.com/9gKteyKFz0
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 29, 2023
Guy interviews a young kid in the airport lynch mob in Dagestan.
‘Why are you here?”
‘I came for the Jews”
‘The Jews?”
‘Yes, to kill them”pic.twitter.com/FM8eTJCXEm
— AG (@AGHamilton29) October 29, 2023
A number of foreign outlets managed to mention Jews in their initial headlines on Sunday.
‘Anti-Israeli mob’ storms airport in Dagestan ‘searching for Jews’ forcing flight from Tel Aviv to divert https://t.co/X5dMbvlDli
— LBC (@LBC) October 29, 2023
Rioters overrun Russian airport in hunt for Jews aboard flight from Israel https://t.co/wpXHIdDHxy . Click to read ⬇️
— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) October 29, 2023
Mob storms Dagestan airport in search of Jewish passengers from Israel https://t.co/M6kV8WJ4W0
— The Guardian (@guardian) October 30, 2023
Mob storms Russian airport looking for Israelis as US condemns ’anti-Semitic protests’ https://t.co/GAJjkXfzuZ pic.twitter.com/coR9DJW09Z
— FRANCE 24 – Europe (@EuropeF24) October 30, 2023
The Jerusalem Post reported that “the pilots [of the flight from Tel Aviv to Dagestan] were warned of the mob and rerouted the plane to land at a nearby airport. The rioters reached that one as well. The flight staff ordered the locking of all aircraft exits, while security forces closed the area off. Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said all aircraft were diverted to other airports. A security source said that a small number of Israelis and Jews were secured in the airport, and were set to be evacuated to Moscow ’at the earliest convenience.'”
More than 20 people were reportedly injured and 60 members of the mob were arrested.
Flashback: The widespread soft-pedaling of news about the Dagestan airport riot came days after similar coverage of an anti-Semitic protest at Cooper Union College in New York City, during which activists tried to force their way into a locked library where Jewish students were hiding from them.
New York Times: ”Israel-Hamas War Protest Leads to Tense Scene at Cooper Union Library”
CBS News: “Pro-Palestinian Rally at Cooper Union Leads to Tense Moments at School Library”
Daily Beast: “Cooper Union Pro-Israel Students Locked in Library During Tense Protest”
By contrast, earlier this month, news outlets rushed to accuse the Jews of a massacre of Palestinians at a Gaza hospital that was actually the fault of Islamist terrorists.
Flash forward: Even well into Monday morning, the New York Times—which employs open anti-Semites to cover the Israel-Hamas war—was not prominently mentioning Jews in its reporting on the anti-Semitic rampage.
You coud set your watch to this type of mealy-mouthed coverage about violence against Jews and Israelis from the New York Times. pic.twitter.com/tupQKke9hc
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) October 30, 2023
Just before 5 p.m., the newspaper of record updated its follow-up story to add references to Jews to the headline.
New York Times: “Riot Over Plane From Israel Alarms Jews and Draws Condemnation: A mob in the Russian republic of Dagestan stormed runways looking for a flight carrying Jewish passengers. The episode highlighted the threat of ethnic strife in Russia.”
What impact does the media’s use of vague terms like ”protesters” or “anti-Israeli protests” have in downplaying the anti-Semitic nature of the rampage?
Assacre against the Jewish passengers. Videos circulated on social media showing the mob shouting anti-Semitic slurs, physically assaulting people, and even attacking individuals who were wearing religious symbols associated with Judaism. It was a horrifying incident that should have been accurately and responsibly reported by the media.
Unfortunately, several major news outlets downplayed the severity of the situation. The initial headlines from the Washington Post, New York Times, Associated Press, CNN, and Reuters failed to explicitly mention the targeting of Jews by the violent mob. Instead, they used vague terms such as “protesters” or “anti-Israeli protests,” which only served to minimize the anti-Semitic nature of the rampage.
It is crucial to highlight that this incident cannot be dismissed merely as a political protest or a reaction to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. What happened at the Russian airport was a deliberate act of violence fueled by hatred towards Jews. The failure of the media to adequately report on the targeting of a specific religious group diminishes the seriousness of the incident and perpetuates a dangerous narrative that downplays anti-Semitism.
Once the backlash began and social media users pointed out the misleading headlines, some of the outlets modified their headlines to include references to the mob’s targeting of Jews. While this correction is a step in the right direction, it does not excuse the initial failure of responsible reporting. The media had access to credible sources, including the social media footage, that clearly indicated the mob’s intentions. They had the information to accurately portray the incident from the beginning, but their initial choice of words failed to reflect the gravity of the situation.
The media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and disseminating accurate information. In the face of rising anti-Semitism worldwide, it is imperative that journalists and news outlets exercise caution in their reporting. The misrepresentation or downplaying of incidents like the one at the Russian airport not only fails to inform the public adequately but also perpetuates a dangerous narrative that normalizes anti-Semitism.
It is essential for news organizations to prioritize truth and accuracy in reporting. Holding media
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