5.12.2021

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 In this class, we focused on the importance of social media in grasping the truth behind controversial topics, and how ambiguity in news articles works to confuse readers in comprehending the Israeli-Palestine conflict. I was surprised when Mr. Paterson emphasized the reliability of social media and Web 2.0 compared to the biased popular media because I had thought that those networks weren't be trusted when trying to obtain information as they are accessible to anyone anywhere. Moreover, all of my past assignments which needed background research only allowed evidence backed up with prominent new sites and papers, so I had grown as a student knowing that famous news companies were adequate sources for gathering information, However, analyzing a Times news article covering the tension between Gaza and Israeli territory revealed the intentional ambiguities that are present in modern outlets, making me question my past relationships dealing with media and only looking at the headlines without even noticing the slight misconceptions in wording because I don't regularly check the whole article, and so are others as well. Although I understand that social media is a free platform that can be threatening at times when people start to exploit the system into spreading fake information, in this case where the Israeli-Palestine issues are intertwined with media bias, I can say that social media can be a useful tool in not just recognizing the current situation, but really feeling the people's gut-wrenching loss of their homes, their homeland, and their temples. 

Speaking of being able to empathize by viewing the world from citizen's eyes, I enjoyed today's interactive learning style where I was able to feel the unfairness of Palestinian people having to be evicted from their own homes to make way for new Israeli immigrants who have no right to barge into someone else's abode like it was theirs in the first place. Specifically, I was astounded at how parties with power were able to exploit their ownership of the media to cover their tracks and making it seem like the opposing party was the one that started the feud. In this case, Mr. Paterson demonstrated by hiding information of his takeover of someone else's device and only letting these sources jump to the conclusion being the device owner's retaliation as the main cause for the clash. I only use "clash" to represent the conflict but in reality, there is a big power difference between the two, but they can hire writers to make it seem like they are the vulnerable and susceptible ones to gain support and attraction from overseas audiences. Imagine having to read the newspaper, only to find out that your acts have been unrightfully canceled out by powers that are beyond reach. I would feel tremendously vexed about the underrepresentation of my own community, thus I sensed an urgent need to deepen my knowledge on societal issues as an act of shedding light on the realities of Gaza and the Palestinians. 

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