Reviewing BBC News website portrayal of Israel and the Palestinians in Q3 2016 – part two

As noted in part one of this post, between July 1st and September 30th 2016, eighty-seven reports relating to Israel and/or the Palestinians (along with a few others relating to non-Israeli Jews) appeared on the BBC News website’s Middle East page, some of which were cross posted from other sections of the site. 13.8% of those reports covered stories relating to security/terrorism.website

The remaining 86.2% of those articles can be divided into a number of categories. (The dates in brackets represent the period of time in which each report was available to visitors to the website’s Middle East page.)

Seven reports related to historical subject matter.

Entebbe pilot Michel Bacos ‘saw hostage murdered’  (3/7/16 to 4/7/16)

Researchers make ‘first discovery’ of Philistine cemetery (10/7/16 to 11/7/16)

Ancient barley DNA gives insight into crop development (18/7/16 to 20/7/16)

Rio 2016: Widow welcomes Munich massacre memorial (2/8/16 to 3/8/16) discussed here

Rio 2016 Olympics: Widow’s wish sees ceremony mark killings of Israeli athletes (3/8/16 to 8/8/16) discussed here

Jerusalem Biblical Temple floor designs ‘restored’ (6/9/16 to 8/9/16) discussed here

Digital technology reveals secret of ancient biblical scroll (22/9/16 to 23/9/16)

Two reports can be categorised as miscellaneous.

Auschwitz survivor Elie Wiesel dies aged 87 (3/7/16 to 4/7/16)

Microscope observes life of the ocean floor (13/7/16 to 16/7/16)

20 reports related to Israeli diplomatic/international relations and/or political aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Israel and Palestinians: Powers warn of ‘perpetual conflict’ (1/7/16 to 3/7/16) discussed here

Israel-Palestinians: Blame and bitterness keeping peace at bay (1/7/16 to 8/7/16) discussed here 

Turkey sends Gaza aid after six-year rift with Israel ends (3/7/16 to 4/7/16) discussed here

Israeli politician Tzipi Livni ‘summonsed by UK police’ (4/7/16) discussed here

Netanyahu in Entebbe: A personal journey amid a diplomatic push (4/7/16 to 5/7/16) discussed here

Israel’s Netanyahu in Entebbe to mark hostage-rescue anniversary (4/7/16 to 5/7/16) discussed here

US criticises Israel over plans for new settlement homes (6/7/16 to 7/7/16) discussed here

Israel and Palestinians: Egypt FM urges two-state solution in rare visit (10/7/16 to 11/7/16) discussed here

Palestinians plan to sue Britain over 1917 Balfour act (26/7/16 to 28/7/16) discussed here

Rio 2016 Olympics: Lebanese athletes refuse to travel with Israel team (6/8/16 to 9/8/16) discussed here

Rio Olympics 2016: ‘Not what the Olympics are about’ – judo player refuses to shake hands  (12/8/16 to 16/8/16) discussed here

Rio Olympics 2016: Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby ‘sent home for handshake snub’ (16/8/16 to 17/8/16) discussed here

Celtic fans raise £85,000 ‘for Palestine’ after Uefa charge (22/8/16) discussed here

Israel ‘approves 464 settlement homes in West Bank’ (31/8/16 to 2/9/16) discussed here

Rio Paralympics: Algeria goalball team absence investigated (11/9/16)

Rio Paralympics: Algeria goalball team ‘did not boycott’ games (12/9/16 to 13/9/16)

US approves record $38bn Israel military aid deal (14/9/16 to 15/9/16) discussed here and here

UN’s Ban: Netanyahu ethnic cleansing remarks ‘outrageous’ (16/9/16 to 18/9/16) discussed here

Israel’s Netanyahu asks Palestinian president to address parliament (22/9/16 to 25/9/16)

The hopes for peace between Israelis and Palestinians (27/9/16 to 29/9/16)

Three reports cross-posted on the Middle East page related to antisemitism.

Poland’s Duda vows anti-Semitism fight at Kielce anniversary (4/7/16 to 5/7/16)

Amos Oz: Saying Israel should not exist is anti-Semitic (13/9/16 to 14/9/16) discussed here

Amos Oz: Saying Israel should not exist is anti-Semitic (14/9/16)

Six reports related to Palestinian affairs.

Palestinian authorities investigate mosque music mix-up (12/8/16 to 15/8/16) 

Palestinian suspect in police killings ‘beaten to death’ (23/8/16 to 25/8/16) discussed here

Gaza’s last tiger to leave for new home in South Africa (24/8/16 to 25/8/16) discussed here

Palestinian court delays municipal elections after challenges (8/9/16 to 9/9/16) discussed here

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ‘was KGB agent’ (8/9/16 to 9/9/16) discussed here

Palestinian women fight elections name ‘censorship’ (13/9/16 to 21/9/16) 

Of 37 reports concerning Israel related stories, nineteen related to the illness and death of former president Shimon Peres. The reports can be divided into sub categories including:

a) Shimon Peres:

Former Israeli President Shimon Peres ‘critical but stable’ after stroke (14/9/16) 

Shimon Peres: Ex-Israeli president ‘showing improvement’ after stroke (14/9/16 to 16/9/16) 

Shimon Peres, former Israeli president, dies aged 93 (28/9/16)

Obituary: Shimon Peres, Israeli founding father (28/9/16 to 30/9/16)

Shimon Peres: Long legacy of Israel’s elder statesman (28/9/16 to 2/10/16) discussed here

Chief rabbi pays tribute to former Israel PM Shimon Peres (28/9/16) 

Shimon Peres on turning 90 (28/9/16 – originally from 2013)

Chemi Peres: ‘Farewell to our beloved father (28/9/16 to 29/9/16)

Shimon Peres’ wish for peace lives on – Yossi Beilin (28/9/16 to 30/9/16)

Shimon Peres: An emigre who became a world statesman (28/9/16 to 30/9/16)

Shimon Peres: Tributes from around the world (28/9/16 to 30/9/16)

Shimon Peres’s death closes a chapter in Israel’s history (28/9/16 to 3/10/16)

Israel’s Shimon Peres lies in state at parliament (29/9/16)

Shimon Peres: The Nobel Peace Prize winner’s final speech (29/9/16 to 30/9/16)

Body of Shimon Peres lies in state (29/9/16 to 30/9/16)

Shimon Peres funeral: Leaders hail legacy of former Israeli leader (30/9/16 to 3/10/16)

Palestinian and Israeli leaders shake hands at Peres funeral (30/9/16 to 7/10/16)

Shimon Peres was a great man of the world, says Israeli PM (30/9/16 to 3/10/16)

Obama: Abbas at Peres funeral ‘a reminder of unfinished peace’ (30/9/16 to 3/10/16) 

b) reports relating to legal and/or criminal issues:

Jerusalem Gay Pride: Jailed killer Schlissel ‘planned new attack’ (21/7/16 to 24/7/16)

Israeli tourist ‘gang-raped’ in northern India, two arrested (25/7/16 to 27/7/16)

Franz Kafka: Israeli library wins legal battle over unpublished papers (9/8/16 to 10/8/16)

Israeli woman and baby kept at airport in DNA case (9/8/16 to 11/8/16)

c) society:

Four-legged friends get cinema outing in Tel Aviv (12/7/16 to 18/7/16)

Jerusalem LGBT parade returns after stabbing attack (21/7/16 to 25/7/16)

The ultra-Orthodox Jews combining tech and the Torah (9/9/16 to 11/9/16)

The island where thousands go to get married (11/9/16 to 13/9/16)

World’s oldest man, Yisrael Kristal, 113, to hold bar mitzvah (15/9/16 to 16/9/16)

d) domestic news/politics:

Israel army names new chief rabbi criticised over rape comments (12/7/16 to 13/7/16) discussed here

EU criticises Israel law forcing NGOs to reveal foreign funding (12/7/16 to 13/7/16) discussed here

Israeli parliament passes controversial impeachment law (20/7/16 to 21/7/16) discussed here and here

Israel police chief: ‘Natural’ to suspect Ethiopians of crime (31/8/16 to 1/9/16) discussed here 

Israel: Three dead in Tel Aviv after car park collapses (5/9/16 to 6/9/16)

Israeli restaurant bill: Chinese tourists paid $4,393 (8/9/16 to 9/9/16)

e) technology:

Who are the hackers who cracked the iPhone? (26/8/16 to 7/9/16) discussed here

Apple tackles iPhone one-tap spyware flaws (26/8/16 to 29/8/16)

Meeting Cellebrite – Israel’s master phone crackers (26/9/16 to 29/9/16)

Even excluding the reports on the death of Shimon Peres, Israeli domestic affairs once again received considerably greater coverage than did Palestinian affairs in the third quarter of 2016.

q3-chart-1

Overall throughout the first three quarters of 2016, 23.7% of the BBC News website’s reporting on Israel and the Palestinians related to security issues. Israeli internal affairs were the subject of 33% of the BBC’s reporting while just 8.8% of the coverage related to Palestinian internal affairs.

q3-chart-2

Related Articles:

Reviewing BBC News website portrayal of Israel and the Palestinians in Q1 2016 – part one

Reviewing BBC News website portrayal of Israel and the Palestinians in Q1 2016 – part two

Reviewing BBC News website portrayal of Israel and the Palestinians in Q2 2016 – part one  

Reviewing BBC News website portrayal of Israel and the Palestinians in Q2 2016 – part two

Reviewing BBC News website portrayal of Israel and the Palestinians in Q3 2016 – part one

 

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