Representing Palestine. Media and Journalism in Australia since Worlld War I

'Israel and Palestine occupy a unique place in Australian media and politics. This meticulous research exposes the origins of this extraordinary engagement. This forensic analysis of the Australian media's coverage of the Palestine issue exposes clearly the crucial role the international media plays in the fortunes of one of the world's oldest conflicts. A must read for anyone caring about Palestine and interested in media's ethics and contribution to global peace.' - Illan Pappe, Professor of History, Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies, University of Exeter, 'Through a detailed and solid textual analysis, this book provides a media history that describes an Australian newspaper's portrayal of the Palestinians during peak periods of news interests over a century. It offers a history of journalistic practices and ethics as well as a critical account of the roots of 21st century demonization of the Palestinians.' - Dina Matar, Senior Lecturer in Arab Media and Political Communication and Head of the Centre for Global Media and Communications, SOAS, University of London

After more than half a century, the Israel-Palestine conflict continues to dominate headlines. But how has the coverage of Palestinians by foreign media changed? How did foreign correspondents influence the perception of Palestine amongst their audiences? And why is understanding this so important? Based on extensive original research in the archives of Australia's oldest newspaper, Peter Manning shows how the Sydney Morning Herald portrayed Palestine during three key periods - the end of World War I (1917-8); the Nakba and the creation of Israel (1947-8); and 9/11 and its aftermath (2000-2). In the process, he takes the reader on a unique journey from the moment information was gathered on the ground in Palestine, through to its final processing and publication. Crucially, when correspondents neglected to write about Palestinians, their perspective never made it to readers and a space emerged for stereotyping and misunderstanding. Manning reveals how the newspaper reported on key events such as Australian troops in Palestine and the Holocaust, but also how the newspaper failed to cover massacres and forced migrations. Combining close textual analysis of more than 10,000 articles with cutting-edge quantitative research methods, this book is important reading for anyone with an interest in how the print media has portrayed the conflict in Palestine - both in Australia and beyond.