The Take With Gaza in ruins, will US media name the crime?
Oct 6, 2025
Asal Rad, a historian and fellow at the Arab Center in Washington, D.C., dives into the evolving narrative surrounding media coverage of Gaza. She critiques the reluctance of Western outlets to label actions as genocide, emphasizing how misleading headlines obscure accountability. Discussing the impact of social media and the role of Palestinian journalists, Rad stresses the importance of diversifying news sources. She illustrates how vague language perpetuates false equivalences and how the deaths of journalists further hinder transparent reporting.
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Headlines Shape Historical Narrative
- Assal Rad analyzes headlines to reveal how language shapes historical narrative in real time.
- She corrects headlines with minimal edits to show how Western media often omits key facts.
NYT Headline Omitted The Perpetrator
- Rad cites a New York Times editorial headlined "This Terrible War Must End" to show missing context and actors.
- She argues the headline framed a genocide as an anonymous "war" and omitted who was responsible.
Example: Vague 'Casualties' Headline
- Rad recounts a November 2023 NYT headline that avoided naming Israel and used "leaves casualties."
- She contrasts that with a clear alternative: "Israeli airstrike kills dozens of civilians in Gaza."