Following the recent conflict in the Middle East regarding Israel and Palestine, two different groups formed on campus: pro-Palestine and pro-Israel. The Hamas attacks on October 7th coupled with Israel’s response led to many protests and demonstrations, and with protests, comes coverage.

With many demonstrations occurring on campus, the student media was faced with the daunting task of covering both sides of the conflict in an unbiased way. For the Palestinian side, the coverage was welcomed. The Palestinian Solidarity Committee’s has organized several demonstrations including a vigil in Dunn Meadow, a weekly sit-in at the Starbucks at the IMU and many more vocal protests. While these protests have been peaceful, there has still been disagreement over the coverage that the student media has given them.

 

On the pro-Israel side, the opinion of the media is night and day. Other than a large rally following the October 7th attacks by Hamas, the pro-Israel side has not been as vocal. Despite the fact that their counterparts have been more public with their cause, the pro-Israel community remains angry and frustrated over what they say is intentionally unbalanced coverage.

With the Israel-Palestine conflict becoming more volatile by the day, the media coverage continues to be a hot-button issue. As the Palestinian Solidarity Committee continues to hold their protests and the pro-Israel community doesn’t, the media is in a difficult position to give equal attention to both sides.