Who gets to shape the story? Reporting on the conflict in the Middle East — with The Guardian’s Nour Haydar

In 'The Message', Ta-Nehisi Coates delves into the intersections of race, power, and identity through three intertwining essays. The book is part memoir, part travelogue, and part writing primer. Coates reflects on his visits to Dakar, Senegal, where he grapples with his Afrocentric roots; Columbia, South Carolina, where he examines the backlash against historical reckoning and book banning; and Palestine, where he critiques nationalist narratives and their impact on reality. The book emphasizes the urgent need to untangle destructive myths and embrace difficult truths to create a more just future.

In 'Dateline Jerusalem,' John Lyons provides an insider's perspective on the challenges of reporting on Israel and Palestine. The book critiques the Australian media for its lack of honest and fearless reporting on Israel's occupation and discriminatory treatment of Palestinians. Lyons, a veteran journalist and former Jerusalem correspondent for 'The Australian,' details the systemic failure of the media to cover the human rights violations and apartheid practices in the region. He also discusses Israel's policies of housing demolition, displacement, and demographic transformation, and the impact of these policies on Palestinian communities.