Shuruq As'ad
spokesperson Palestinian Journalist Syndicate
Fatemah Farag
founder and CEO Welad Elbalad Media
Zahera Harb
chairperson Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism
Ricardo Mir de Francia
senior international reporter and photographer El Periodico
Popular meme circulating in Arabic on Facebook: parent talking to child, saying “Do not lie or you will grow up to be a CNN reporter.” Western media coverage since the start of the war in Gaza has brought serious questions about impartiality and professionalism to the fore. And while some might consider trust levels amongst Arab audiences to be unimportant, they are because it is not just them and because a lack of trust in Western media is also a lack of trust in a model for professional journalism that permeates media development assistance, training, and a global understanding about what journalism is and does. The panel will deep dive into why - overall - coverage has been deemed lacking and biased and how we can look towards better constructs of foreign coverage fostering peace, understanding and justice.