Media and images are playing an important role in the Israel-Hamas war and one professor at the George Washington University says there are important historic events to point to in which images and media coverage have shaped public discourse and policy action.
Babak Bahador is an associate research professor and director of the Media and Peacebuilding Project at GW. Bahador has taught and researched in the areas of media, peace and conflict, political communication and public diplomacy since 2006 and is also a senior lecturer at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, where he teaches for part of each year. In recent years, his research has focused on media and peacebuilding and he is currently co-editing a book on this subject. Bahador is also the founder of Peace News, a start-up media organization covering peacebuilding efforts in conflict zones.
Images of massacre in Israel have sparked outrage in Israel, and internationally, and strong support for Israel, which Bahador says is similar to 9/11 in which U.S. initially received strong international support. He adds that with high emotions, there is a risk of disproportionate response where images from Gaza will turn support into condemnation, similar to how the U.S. lost global support with the Iraq War response to 9/11. Bahador says there is Pew Research that shows very strong global support for the U.S, after 9/11 and falling dramatically after 2003 Iraq war.
Bahador has also written about the “CNN Effect,” a theory that global television networks play an important role in influencing policymakers’ actions and outcomes of events.
“Media images from Gaza, especially specific incidents with large civilian casualties, will put international pressure on Israel to change its policy focused on eliminating Hamas. I did a study on the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war following the bombing of civilians (this is also called the CNN effect curve involving the impediment CNN effect where images impede operations once started), which put pressure on Israel to change its policy from one aimed at eliminating Hezbollah as a strategic threat ("enduring ceasefire") to one aimed at stopping the war ("immediate ceasefire").”
If you would like to speak with Prof. Bahador, please contact GW Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass at [email protected].
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