Media Critiques
22 December '10
Other than the collapse of peace talks, this year's biggest Mideast story was understood in shorthand.
The Flotilla.
Basing its international legitimacy on unfounded claims of a humanitarian crisis, the Free Gaza Movement organized a number of attempts to break the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza by sea.
In the past, Israel had allowed individual small ships to reach Gaza. Before the Mavi Marmara, Lauren Booth -- who "won" HonestReporting's 2008 award -- was the name most associated with the expeditions.
But the size of the convoys and the number of activists trying to reach Gaza became more than an annoying PR stunt that Israel could afford to play along with. The primary risks: allowing Hamas a corridor to smuggle weapons, and permitting terrorists threatening Israel to enter the Strip, all in the guise of humanitarian aid.
The Free Gaza flotilla of May played the media game remarkably well. Advance work on social media, a passenger list including a considerable number of journalists and flotillistas, and lots of digital equipment, all combined to get their stories online. In fact, they went a little overboard: footage captured by the IDF included "peace activists" declaring, "I want to be a shahid," "We can die as martyrs," and scenes of rioters preparing metal rods to attack soldiers.
But the Israeli army demonstrated its own media savvy; the army filmed the raid and posted the video online. The result? IDF footage of its forces coming under violent attack went viral on YouTube, countering claims that the naval intercept was unnecessarily aggressive. One grainy still from the video of soldier being beaten by rioters became the event's most iconic image.
(Read full "Dishonest Reporter Award 2010")
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