Syrian civil war coverage

Media coverage during any conflict is always fraught with propaganda and distortions. The civil war in Syria is no different. In an age where most people receive their news from television, the various media outlets reporting on Syria have been plagued with biased views of the situation.

At one time Al Jazeera was seen as a bastion of independent journalism in the Middle East. Their coverage of the Iraq War and the Egyptian revolution were hailed by many in the region for their fair and unbiased reporting. Unfortunately this is not the case in Syria. As the below news segment demonstrates, Al Jazeera’s coverage has been co-opted by the Qatari government. They are still framing the narrative as a fight between good and evil. The FSA in the minds of Al Jazeera is a galant and brave rebel army fighting the evil Assad regime. As the Syrian National Council lackey says, the just FSA is retreating from their newly conquered territories in Damascus, so as to protect the civilian population. Note too, that all of this information is gained through YouTube videos, and reporters from neighboring countries. The great Arab news outlet doesn’t have anyone on the ground.

Russia Today’s coverage of the Syrian civil war is much more nuanced. RT is funded by the Kremlin, so there is a bias and slant to their coverage. But if people are willing to eat up Qatari and Western propaganda, why not eat some Russian as well. RT manages to frame the narrative is more realistic manner. This is no longer a peaceful protest movement. Instead this is a civil war in which a plethora of factions are all vying for power. No one controls the country. RT is also quick to point out that the Syrian National Council has no serious backing within Syria. Most importantly RT actually has someone there on the ground in Damascus with the FSA. They don’t have a correspondent in Beirut Skyping with activists in Syria.