Publisher's Synopsis
The attempts to evict Palestinian residents of Sheikh Jarrah in May 2021 caught the attention of the world. While this small Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem had long been central to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the planned expulsions pushed the situation back into the spotlight. This book discusses the complexity of the media war that took place at the same time. Across 20 chapters, it compares Israeli, Western, Palestinian and Arab media to understand how different narratives were discussed, supported and challenged. In particular, the book captures how social media became a site of online activism and alternative war narratives. The volume is unique in focusing on a specific event from many different perspectives and with material from different countries and media platforms. Case studies include the Spanish press; the African press; the BBC; Al-Jazeera English; TRT World Television; and digital media such as TikTok and Facebook, as well as the impact of social media activism. In doing so, the book also comments on the extent that citizen journalists challenge the propaganda war.
