The News Media

In previous articles, I have written about the abuse of language by the radical left, especially in relationship to Israel and their reporting on the Israel-Arab Muslim conflict. This time, I want to continue on the same track.

Anti-Israel Bias

Some years ago, we saw some amazing events – a U.N. conference on racism in Geneva that was really a conference supporting Anti-Semitic racism! This conference was held at the same time that Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) was taking place in Israel. The speaker at the conference was Iran’s then leader, Ahmadinejad, a Holocaust denier! The bizarre set of circumstances was not lost on Israelis. Yet, the European mindset continues to see Israel as a greater danger than either Iran or radical Islam. Israel is being portrayed as the racist society.

At around the same time, thirty socialist members of the British parliament planned a live streaming video conference with the head of the Hamas terrorist group who lived in Syria.

Homosexual Bias

In a seemingly disconnected event, Miss California placed second in the Miss U.S.A. beauty pageant. Many thought that she lost the contest because of her response to a question on her view of homosexual marriage. She gave a soft answer: she was glad that she lived in a country where people had a choice, but in her opinion marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. The judges thought her answer was divisive and lowered her score. Seventy percent of Americans agreed with her answer.  So who is divisive? Certainly it is the homosexuals who are pushing their agenda on the population against the historic consensus of most civilized peoples. There are some homosexuals who only want civil rights and not marriage recognition. They value traditional marriage and see its connection to children. Yet it is the radical view that prevails in the media, and the media hammers away in favor of the more radical “Gay” agenda. We should note that as the years have passed, support for traditional marriage declined and acceptance of homosexual marriage increased. Why? It is because the culture formation institutions, especially in education, arts and entertainment, and the news media support the LGBTQ+ agenda.

Leaders Lean To The Left

Whether it is the LGBTQ+ agenda, the Arab Israeli situation, or socialist versus free market economics, the leaders of culture formation institutions are supporting a leftist orientation: socially, politically and economically. (The reader should be aware that I am not a supporter of unregulated “no holds barred” capitalism and am quite weary of big corporate organizations.) It does not matter that these leaders represent only a minority view of the population. With the left in power in the United States, many political leaders will follow them.

I want to now concentrate on the news media. Dictators who control totalitarian governments know that control of the media is crucial to gaining their ends. I am frustrated by media reports in countries that speak about the response of the “Arab man on the street” to Israeli or American policies. The so called “view from the street” is in reality nothing more than selective clips chosen by the media to express their own bias. All of this is the product of incredibly corrupt governments. There is no free press in most Arab countries, and this is also the case for most, but not all, non-Arab Muslim countries.

Leftist Media In Free Countries

However, the problem in free countries is another story. In these countries, those who control the news media are indoctrinated in leftist and relativistic approaches to life. While there are a few deep thinking news media people, most are quite shallow. In my opinion their perspective lacks the wisdom and critical analysis required in these days of double speak and political correctness.

How many journalists really understand the intricacies of economics and why socialism does not work? How many know of the benefits that faith has brought to the world? How many really understand how bereft of evidence is the homosexual case for genetic pre-determination? How many have investigated the historical realities of Israel and the Arab nations; do they consider Islam’s theological underpinnings that will not accept a Jewish state in the Middle East? The anti-Israel bias of the left is not defensible on any objective basis. How many are familiar with the tactics of terrorists, including the use of human shields and the creation of civilian casualties that can be used for their propaganda? Why is the leftist media so taken in?

The British tradition of a free press, which was embraced by the founding fathers of the United States, reflected an optimistic hope that a free press would analyze many different views and that honesty, truth and objectivity would prevail. In this respect, the founders could not have anticipated the possibility of a free news media that would be controlled by people who are themselves captured by an ideology and indoctrinated against much that the founders held dear! This has led to results that are dire and to a culture that approaches the totalitarian control of the news media.

Today we have alternative news media through the Internet, social media and on cable. This media can be very helpful to those who understand the bias of the mainstream news media and maintain connection to it. In recent years, the influence of the alternative media has grown rapidly and is fast approaching a significant culture formation power. Culture formation is still moving toward the anti-Israel, anti-Christian, pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, and pro-socialist biases. It is so great, that some think that the present liberal turn in the United States cannot be stopped. They fear that the media will defend the liberal trend no matter what, and that they will blame the previous administration for any failures of their policies.

The Answer To Media Bias

So what can we do? Should we despair? Well, I have good news about the Good News. There is only one power that can break the bondage of this control. It is the power of the Gospel. The Gospel can transform lives despite biased culture formation institutions.

China is a significant case in point. In a country with a tightly controlled media, the Gospel has expanded exponentially. However, it is a Gospel movement that looks very much like the pages in the book of Acts. It is a Gospel where the Kingdom breaks in with power, with signs and with wonders. It breaks through mindsets and media control. Without broadcasting, Internet, or news outlets, untold millions have been swept into the Kingdom of God. This can also be true in the United States, Israel, Europe or any other land where there is an ideological stronghold controlling the people. Prayer and revival leading to a Book of Acts type movement can overcome all obstacles.

In Israel we face a mindset and media bias controlled by centuries of indoctrination against belief in Yeshua. It is a powerful stronghold but it is no match for the power of the Spirit.