The Media in the Middle East Conflict  

Young people interview Israeli and German jounalists and work together with the media..

We are regularly confronted with media reports about the conflict in the Middle East, but the young people do not know very much about the backgrounds of the conflict, the history of Israel and the influence of the media with regard to this subject. How do the media reports come into existence and how great is the influence of the jounalist?

This concept makes it possible to the young people to have a connection with Israel, its past and its presence.  At the same time a critical handling with the reporting of our media will be encouraged.

Objectives

• To understand complex backgrounds about Israel
• To encourage the crititical handling of the media
• To get to know foreign perceptions

Schedule (a short overview)

Background information about Israel, the Middle East and the influence of the media are gathered and commented. Schemes of questions are created and German, Israeli and Arab journalists are interviewed. Results will be analysed and (with an eventual radio broadcasting) presented in the Internet.

Note for the preparation! In order to be able to understand better the everyday situation in Israel, the online learning module „Here we live“can be used. The young people can communicate with each other about the every day life.

Phase 1

First activity „information“

Obtaining background information about the history of Israel and the Middle East conflict.

The influence of the media and the job of journalists will also be examined.

Task 1

Form three following groups

Task 2

Develop within your group a short summary of your relevant topic.

Task 3

Prepare a presentation of about 15 minutes maximum! Use a poster or MS PowerPoint / OpenOffice Impress or something similar! Inform the other groups about your topic or your presentation!

Phase 2

Preparing your interview with a journalist

Task 1

• Choose a medium like radio, newspaper or TV

• Note!  There were very good results obtained by the medium „radio“, as it was possible to make the interviews with the journalists directly during a radio broadcast. The recordings were very suitable for the final presentation on our websiste, and this led to a special value for the visitors of our website.

• Choose a recent media event in the Middle East conflict and examine it in the German, Israeli and Arab media, with the help of a scheme of questions, which you have prepared in advance.
• Evaluate the results and discuss them within the group.

Task 2

• Create questions for the interview with the journalists
• Work out a scheme of questions including not more than 4 to 8 essential questions, (also in the English language)

·

o

• • • with regard to the person (of the journalist)
    • with regard to the topic „reporting“
    • on a recent media topic in the Middle East conflict (take only one recent media event of the Middle East conflict)

 Phase 3

Make the interviews with one or more journalists at your place as well as with Jewish and Arab journalists in Israel.

Note! For the interviews you can also use conference tools from the Internet. Such possible tools can be found on our website.

Task 1

How to make the interview

At first the teacher / leader should get in touch with the journalists.

(The „Israel Platform“ will be pleased to help you to contact accordingly Jewish and Arab journalists and to contact also the appropriate media in Israel).

It is important to note that there is the possibility to make the interview during a radio broadcast, if you choose the medium „radio“.

This result gives a special value to your final presentation in the Internet.

Phase 4

Evaluation:

Task 1

Discuss the results within the group

Which essential characteristics did you find with regard to the way of reporting of the media?

Which perceptions did you obtain after having made the interviews with the journalists?

Did your reference to our media change?

Did your reference to Israel change after having received multiple information?

Additional Option

Apply the same methodology with the help of another medium, such as newspaper and TV. Compare then the results received with the results of the medium used before.

• Information on the concept „Middle East Conflict“
• Here you can find links for your project work