A war where news reports and social media are in the weapons cache

Commentary

The war between Hamas and Israel is one where sophisticated rockets and missiles, miles of an underground network of tunnels in Gaza, and the Iron Dome of Israel are weapons and dialogue of war – getting their own headlines in this modern battle, as soldiers are not yet on the ground in the vicious combat we know will come.

As legacy media are fewer and reporters are less trained and less supervised, getting accurate information and figuring out what to believe is left up to individuals – their good brains a sieve to decide what to hold onto, and what to dismiss as propaganda. The lack of sophistication in reporting, and bias might be harmless on certain issues, or even helpful on others, but when reporting on war, every word, every syllable, imagine, and headline is critically important.

Social media has its own special place. Recently, a Twitter – or should it be “X” post – showed a “war team” set up in a secure location. There were several rows of young women sitting in front of their laptops. Their job is to monitor and feed information to social media channels. Well beyond Facebook and Twitter, messages are being delivered on TikTok, Truth, Instagram, Telegram (almost exclusive used by Hamas and extremist groups), and more. Telegram is run by a Russian and is referred to as the Elon Musk of Russia, with over 800 million Delivering messages on our phones when we’re playing games or scrolling sites and apps is on their social media strategy day in, day out. Calls to justify actions, posting of hostage videos, announcements to violent gatherings, etc. All tools of…this war.

The explosion that occurred at the hospital in Gaza is a perfect example of what can happen when the rush to get it first and the choosing of words, inflections, and images, set off the world to violence – just like a bomb – and it’s unclear now how it can be reversed.

CNN used to be in the category of the AP, or Reuters

Israel Defenses (IDF ) spokesperson, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner lambasted CNN in a live report early this morning as they came on the air with new broadcasts. Lerner was live to give an update about what Israel had learned about the hospital “bombing” and provide an update on the war. Lerner speaks impeccable English and delivered his message with emotion but reserve to Laura Coates on her live program, who looked stunned. He took the network to task for first reporting that “Israel conducted a rocket attack on a Gaza hospital”.

“You need to be very cautious in your reporting, you have a huge responsibility around the world . What happened in the aftermath of this event – all because YOU did not confirm what this terrorist organization told you. Your banner on the screen said Hamas reports Israel targeted the hospital… what you said laid the groundwork for the whole events that followed- and that was unfounded and untrue.

What we’ve learned is that a rocket misfired from Hamas toward Israel, and exploded in a parking lot next to the hospital. No crater. 450 Gaza explosions from misfires of their own rockets.

You need to put a question mark on everything you report – you need to be factual – they are using your, abusing you, manipulating the situation.”

Posted at 1:40pm Oct. 17th – with 824,000 immediate views by CNN on “X”:

Posted on the CNN shortly afterwards:

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Other outlets who also jumped to report: AP, Washington Post, New York Times, and more…

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We wake to demonstrations exploding seemingly out of nowhere all around the world against Israel – and against the United States of America. It is as if thousands were standing in a holding area waiting to run, and someone opened the gates.

President Joe Biden is in the air on his way to Israel – by the time he got on the plane in Washington, both Jordan and Palestine leaders canceled their participation in any meeting with the US President.

Israel issued emergency orders for their residents and staff to leave Turkey, to leave the embassy. Reports show fires started in the Israeli embassy in Istanbul and a US base where US troops are. Some Turkish police responded with the use of water cannons, but there doesn’t seem to have been any coordinated response to the violence.

Country after country have refused to accept any Palestinian refugees if they manage to get out of the country. The President of Jordan has said that it is a Red Line that no refugees will not be allowed in their country, or in Egypt. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez goes on national television to say America needs to open our arms to the people of Gaza. It is the first call for the US to accept Palestinian refugees into the country.

Calls for aid to the Palestinians do not take into account that when Israel tried to send fuel, the Hamas intercepted the tank trunks for themselves. Same with water and medical supplies, and food. The Hamas are also blocking Palestinians from leaving the country, but even if they could, where would they go?

People believe what they believe. Often, even when proof is shown to them, they will hold onto a deeply emotional thought and feeling. How will the US come out of this? How will our universities deal with acceptance of one another, which has all – almost like the demonstrators out of a starting box – exploded into spoken words of racism, giving life to thoughts perhaps more privately held, and not somewhat emboldened and given life.

The Israeli-Hamas war will end as we see it, with the destruction of the Hamas, much like that of ISIS – but how will the United States be perceived around the world in the private world of individual belief?

“Your brain is a muscle – if you don’t use it, you lose it.” Use the good brain you have, filter the news, read everything, question everything, verify. Learn more about history. Watch out for those influencers, they really know how to manipulate and frame a story. Don’t be used as a weapon of war to spread untruths, to believe untruths.

This is Israel’s 9-11 – it seems a time of peace is far away. And that the world has gone a little mad. Consume the news in spurts, conserve your internal strength to digest it all. Don’t forget to watch the prayer vigils and marches of nuns in New York City, and not just the maddened throngs.