Changing perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

And NPR’s historical efforts to get the story right [View this email online]( [NPR Public Editor by Poynter's Kelly McBride]( Charges of bias and inaccuracies in the reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue to dominate our inbox. We are answering one of those letters today. Overall, NPR’s work on this topic is extensive and comprehensive. Our research turned up some interesting history about NPR’s efforts to cover this conflict. For more than a decade, NPR engaged an independent auditor who reviewed the coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and issued quarterly reports. The last one was issued in 2014, after budget cuts and after NPR’s board determined the coverage was complete enough that the review was no longer necessary. You can read a summary of that [last report]( by journalist John Felton [here](. One of Felton’s criticisms back then was that NPR underrepresented Palestinian voices. That is certainly no longer the case. This story from Correspondent Ruth Sherlock featured the [voices of parents]( on both sides of the conflict. And this story by Connor Donevan about [Americans with family members]( enduring the attacks was equally comprehensive. There’s a shift afoot in how Americans are responding to the conflict, and that is reflected in our inbox. Some Americans have been particularly interested in the Middle East conflicts because of [historical and religious]( ties to the region. But the racial reckoning of 2020 has caused other Americans to see the conflict through [a new lens](. Those shifting interests will continue to influence how listeners and readers perceive the stories. Those aren’t the only inquiries we hear. Our letter-writers are curious about the inner workings of NPR, and we’ve addressed those comments below. [A children's room in Beit Hanoun, the northern Gaza Strip, is damaged in a building destroyed by an airstrike prior to a cease-fire reached after an 11-day war between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel.]( A children's room in Beit Hanoun, the northern Gaza Strip, is damaged in a building destroyed by an airstrike prior to a cease-fire reached after an 11-day war between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel. John Minchillo/AP From the Inbox Here are a few quotes from the Public Editor's inbox that resonated with us. You can share your questions and concerns with us through the [NPR Contact page](. No correction necessary Norman Sider writes: During her interview with a Palestinian observer to the United Nations, which aired today [5/19] at about 5:15 p.m. EDT, the interviewer failed to respond to the observer's false statement that Israel occupies Gaza. No Israeli soldiers or civilians have been based in or lived in Gaza since 2005. It is true that Israel does its best to prevent weapons of war or materials that could be used for military purposes from entering Gaza; however, this very limited blockade is not "occupation." You are referencing All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly’s [May 19 interview]( with Feda Abdelhady, the Palestinians’ deputy permanent observer to the United Nations. The interview was about the frustration of some that the United States is blocking a U.N. Security Council condemnation of Israel’s attack on Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack on Israel. So far, 12 people in Israel have died including two children; [more than 240 in Gaza are dead]( including 66 children. Against that backdrop, Kelly asks if such a statement from the Security Council would have any impact on the ground. Abdelhady responds (I’ve added the boldface): “I think that there is more to what diplomats at the U.N. are trying to do than just to simply condemn an action. These actions that are being undertaken are in violation of international law. Israel is an occupying power. But beyond that, it’s about prescribing action that can bring an end to the violence, that can protect civilian lives and that can contribute towards a just solution to this decades-long injustice.” Israel does occupy the West Bank, so the statement is not false. And it’s not completely out of context either. Israel has previously occupied Gaza, and in this recent conflict for a short period wanted the world to believe that its soldiers were [invading Gaza](. I don’t find that statement to be in need of a correction. — Kelly McBride Not a government agency David Pritchard writes: I am wondering whether NPR considers itself a government agency subject to the Freedom of Information Act. For example, if I made a FOIA request for the names and titles of everyone who is an employee of NPR's news division, would NPR be required to provide the information? NPR is not a government agency, and thus not subject to FOIA. But its website does provide a [catalog of its employees]( and [examination of its finances]( that you can check out. — Kayla Randall NPR investigations update Roger Jackson writes: I recall an announcement early last year regarding grant monies for new NPR investigative teams (a quick Google search returns results about “hubs” and “data reporters” and “breaking news investigations” so I’m a little confused on the difference between all of them). I was particularly pleased to hear about investigations in underserved regions. Can we get an update on all those teams? Is there a specific place we can read/listen to their work? Great questions! We’re always happy to shed some light when we can, so we spoke with Bruce Auster, who oversees collaborative investigations at NPR, to break it all down. NPR launched a [breaking news investigations unit]( and a [station investigations unit]( designed to support member stations, two distinct parts under the investigations umbrella. Auster said the NPR team also works with stations on investigations in underserved regions, providing data journalism support, public records support, editorial guidance and other resources. Where can you read and listen to this investigative work? NPR has an [investigations section]( on its website. This section doesn’t distinguish between the teams, but rather brings all of the investigations together. The station investigations team is relatively new and several of its projects are multimonth endeavors, but there are stories in the pipeline set to publish soon. [This story]( about limited vaccine sites in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the South is an example of a joint station investigation on which NPR partnered. You also mention a few other terms: “hubs,” “data reporters” and “breaking news investigations.” All these parts fit together. Breaking news investigations are part of NPR’s strategy to complete original investigative work fast and on topics that are in the news. [Regional news hubs]( are a cornerstone of NPR's [Collaborative Journalism Network](. The idea is to encourage stations to work together in three ways: - Hubs allow stations in a region to team up on topics common to where they’re based. - NPR supports local journalism by bringing together station reporters from around the country who cover the same beat — such as the environment, health care, criminal justice and more. - Investigative stories require complex skills, like data reporting, document requests and sourcing; NPR helps local investigations through the station investigations team. “All of it is based on this idea that if you team up, you can do more than if you try to do everything yourself,” Auster said. Stay tuned for some upcoming NPR investigative collaborations. — Kayla Randall What about the variants? Mark Taylor writes: [NPR has been reporting]( the new CDC guidelines on masking and NONE of the stories talk about the variants tearing through India, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brazil. All those variants are one airline trip away. The Indian variant is active in Michigan. We do not know that the vaccination — which I happily got — is a universal protection against all and future variants. NPR reporting is incomplete and dangerous. NPR has reported that the [research into the efficacy of various vaccines]( against different variants is ongoing. The digital story you reference was specifically about the new CDC guidelines, which were considered a major milestone in the United States’ attempt at a return to normal. It cites CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who said the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are effective against coronavirus variants circulating in the U.S. This story was a timely update for readers on a surprising new stance on mask-wearing from the CDC, which may explain why NPR didn’t go into detail about international variants. In many stories about domestic coronavirus issues, NPR includes information about variants that are of greatest concern and have the most relevance to a domestic audience, Joe Neel, NPR’s deputy senior supervising editor and a correspondent on the Science Desk, told me in an email. NPR has invested a lot of reporting on the stories of variants cropping up in other countries. Just this past weekend, NPR Global Health Correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff [spoke to]( Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon about a new COVID-19 variant in Malaysia. Doucleff told me she’s been covering global variants since they started to become news, and that multiple NPR journalists have added their own contributions to this effort. “We start looking at these very early when they start to emerge, and we start tracking them really carefully,” she said. “And when they look like there’s some data showing that they’re concerning, we report them.” One of my favorite stories about variants is [this video]( that uses puzzle pieces as a way to understand the strains. There are other recent stories, too, like this one that explores whether [COVID-19 vaccines]( will still work against the variant from India, and this story by Correspondent and Science Desk Senior Editor Rob Stein about [what readers need to know]( about the coronavirus variants. — Amaris Castillo Spotlight On The Public Editor spends a lot of time examining moments where NPR fell short. Yet we also learn a lot about NPR by looking at work that we find to be compelling and excellent journalism. Here we share a line or two about the pieces where NPR shines. Sharecropper’s Son [Artist Robert Finley]( Alysse Gafjken/Courtesy of the artist MORNING EDITION ['Sharecropper's Son': Louisiana Musician Finds Success Decades After Trying]( Robert Finley tells his story through music. His life, along with his new album, Sharecropper’s Son, is the focus of a [seven-minute Morning Edition piece](. NPR’s Vince Pearson reports on the blues and soul singer-songwriter’s journey, from growing up on a Louisiana farm and buying his first instrument at age 10 to losing his eyesight around age 60 and finding musical success later in life. It’s a vivid artist profile filled with the sounds of a powerful musical heritage. — Kayla Randall Guess who’s back [A male panther leaps over a creek at Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Florida.]( Photo by Carlton Ward Jr. WEEKEND EDITION SUNDAY [Once Nearly Extinct, The Florida Panther Is Making A Comeback]( The Florida panther comeback is underway. WUSF’s Steve Newborn describes the big cat’s history and its return [on Weekend Edition Sunday](. The panthers once roamed the entire Southeast U.S., but by the 1970s, relentless hunting left only a handful in swamps near the Everglades. Thanks to conservation efforts, there are now more than 200. But, Newborn says, “this progress won’t matter if they can’t find money to preserve a continuous path for the big cats to migrate.” Newborn and panther biologist Brian Kelly venture out to the current northern frontier of the panther breeding range for this story in which the environment itself is pleasantly present in the audio, creaking gates, bird calls and all. — Kayla Randall With new life comes new anxiety More than a year after the pandemic upended our lives, and with [half of the United States’ adults]( fully vaccinated, the country has begun to return to normal (well… as normal as it can be). But with that comes a range of emotions, among them trepidation and anxiety, something I felt recently when entering a store that had dropped its mask policy for fully vaccinated customers (I removed my mask, then later placed it back on because I was still nervous). [Morning Edition]( listeners a deeply resonant segment featuring psychologists who articulate what many of us are experiencing right now. The story increases our understanding of how this past year and a half affected us mentally, and offers tips on making this new transition less anxiety-ridden. — Amaris Castillo The Office of the Public Editor is a team. Researchers Amaris Castillo and Kayla Randall make this newsletter possible. We are still reading all of your messages on [Facebook]( [Twitter]( and [from our inbox](. As always, keep them coming. Kelly McBride NPR Public Editor Chair, [Craig Newmark Center for Ethics & Leadership at the Poynter Institute]( Kelly McBride, Public Editor Kayla Randall, NPR Amaris Castillo, Poynter Institute The Public Editor stands as a source of independent accountability. Created by NPR's board of directors, the Public Editor serves as a bridge between the newsroom and the audience, striving to both listen to the audience's concerns and explain the newsroom's work and ambitions. The office ensures NPR remains steadfast in its mission to present fair, accurate and comprehensive information in service of democracy. [Read more]( from the NPR Public Editor, [contact us]( or follow us on [Twitter](. You received this message because you're subscribed to Public Editor emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]