[Columbia Journalism Review] Gal Beckerman - What I really find difficult to swallow is Walt and Mearsheimer's account of how American media and specifically newspapers are molded in the hands of the Israel lobby. Those who work at newspapers would find the notion of inside agents of the Israel lobby (which is effectively what they are describing) as laughable. No columnist can pull off just spouting propaganda. They live and die by the intelligence of their argument. And, it should be remembered that newspapers are a reflection of their audience. There are many reasons why the American people support Israel. Walt and Mearsheimer undermine our intelligence by assuming that we are simply being manipulated. If more columnists support Israel it's partly because most Americans do. That's not the work of any lobby. If the lobby is so influential over the media, how were Walt and Mearsheimer given such space in every major news outlet in the country to express their views? You want to tell me that a force that can impel us to go to war in Iraq can't find a way to censor two academics? Not much of a lobby, now is it?
2007-09-28 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive