CONVERSATION LETTER: OUR COVERAGE OF THE WAR IN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL
The war taking place in Palestine-Israel is deeply tearing apart the human societies that inhabit this historic territory. Near or far, Palestinian, Israeli, Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities around the world are living the aftermath of this seemingly endless war.
International and domestic coverage of the Middle East, by European and North American media, has at times caused more harm than good. Some Western media stories have contributed to dehumanizing the populations that inhabit this part of the Middle East, but also to exporting their biases within the diaspora.
We are a diverse team made up of people affected by Islamophobic, antisemitic, racist, and discriminatory narratives based on our respective identities. We do not want our work to strip populations of their human character or to polarize the debate within them. In our newsroom, we are trying to understand, discuss, and reflect on our commitment to accurate and fair coverage of this war as part of our dialogue journalism approach. This choice to make our pen an instrument of dialogue emerged as a natural principle for creating bridges. Our newsroom strives to be transparent, responsible, and committed to factual truth.
This is even more important in these times of war, when we are not covering up with our eyes closed. Nothing is completely black or white. La Converse is committed to providing the nuances needed in a context of violence that claims lives and divides peoples. The reality, however, is that our resources and access to the land are limited. But even without a journalist on site, our mission remains the same: La Converse serves marginalized communities no matter where they are.
However, we are taking precautions not to amplify certain narratives that could cause harm to communities affected by current events. We have a duty to be careful with the words we use, the sources we choose, and the information we share.
If you want to be heard, if your voice urges you to be heard, if you want us to be more attentive to the words we use, or for any other reason, write to us at info@laconverse.com. We have always wanted La Converse to be a place of trust, but that also means knowing how to reach out in order to progress. Not only as individuals with the power to disseminate information, but also as a medium that serves marginalized communities.