Guidance for accurate, contextualized, and responsible reporting amid escalating conflict.
Over the past two years, coverage of the U.S.-backed Israeli war on Gaza has raised questions about the credibility and independence of many newsrooms. Coverage of Palestine and Israel — a story which continues to shape the American landscape — is a test of whether journalism can resist dehumanization, euphemism and information warfare. Our shared ethics include accuracy in reporting, minimizing harm, and holding both those in power and ourselves accountable. Central to building both trust and media literacy is not only a commitment to those principles, but also to language, the foundation for conveying truth and humanity together.
This guide helps journalists of all backgrounds report on a decades-long system of apartheid, military occupation, forced displacement and war, offering essential historical and legal context alongside concrete language recommendations for headlines and copy to ensure accuracy.
This is a living document developed in consultation with journalists, regional experts, and media professionals. We encourage newsrooms to adopt and adapt these practices as events evolve.
Full-spectrum military, intelligence, and occupation authorities, including IDF, Shin Bet, and COGAT. Dominant belligerent with air, ground, and sea operations in Gaza and a daily raid/detention regime in the West Bank.
Political bureau plus armed wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. De facto Gaza authority since 2007 and primary Palestinian belligerent in Gaza.
Armed faction with no governing wing. Its military arm, Al-Quds Brigades, operates as a secondary Gaza belligerent.
Lebanese political-military movement with state-level capabilities and a significant missile and drone arsenal. Its activity shapes Israeli calculations beyond Gaza.
Launches drones and missiles toward Israel and Red Sea shipping, triggering U.S./U.K. strikes and maritime security operations.
The PLO is recognized as representative of the Palestinian people. The PA administers parts of the West Bank but does not govern Gaza.
Israel’s principal military and diplomatic backer, largest arms supplier, key U.N. Security Council actor, and co-mediator on ceasefire and hostage frameworks.
Hosts Hamas’s political office and has been a lead mediator, with Egypt and the U.S., on ceasefire and hostage negotiations.
Controls Rafah crossing, manages key Sinai security concerns, and plays a central role in ceasefire implementation and aid logistics.
Backs Hamas, PIJ, Hezbollah, and other armed groups. It is a financier, trainer, and arms supplier, but not a formal party to Gaza negotiations.
All combatants wage information war. Early statements are often incomplete or later revised after evidence surfaces that contradicts initial claims, even when shared through official military channels. Do not publish battlefield assertions as fact without independent corroboration.
Example: “The IDF said it struck a Hamas weapons site,” not “The IDF struck a Hamas weapons site,” unless you have independent confirmation.
Language that implies voluntary or temporary relocation obscures intent and legal consequences. Do not use “displacement” or “evacuation” as catch-all terms when policies envision removing a population and preventing return. Name the proposals, name the officials, and include the context that U.N. Security Council Resolution 2735 rejects demographic change in Gaza.
Example: “Residents were ordered by the IDF to leave northern Gaza and move south amid ongoing bombardment.”
The 1948 U.N. Genocide Convention requires genocidal acts, plus specific intent to destroy a protected group “in whole or in part.” Because intent is rarely explicit, courts infer it from patterns like mass killings, starvation, destruction of civilian infrastructure, or leaders’ statements.
Example: “The U.N. Commission of Inquiry concluded Israel has committed genocide in Gaza,” rather than asserting it as settled fact without attribution.
When claims conflict, summarize each with attribution, note evidence provided or withheld, and state what remains unverified. Avoid conclusory phrasing until corroborated.
The Gaza Ministry of Health compiles detailed death tallies that the U.N., WHO, and major wire services rely on. Past post-war investigations have repeatedly found them broadly accurate, though delays and undercounts can occur during bombardment.
Created in 1949, UNRWA runs schools, clinics, and relief programs for refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Allegations of misconduct should be attributed and contextualized, but coverage should make clear that weakening UNRWA primarily harms civilians.
Under international humanitarian law, journalists are civilians and protected from attack. Any claim that a journalist was a combatant should be treated as an allegation requiring credible, independent evidence.
When officials or planners call for removing Palestinians outside Gaza or permanently barring return, coverage should name the documents, quote the officials, and spell out the legal consequences.
The core issues are political and territorial: land, displacement, and rights under military rule. Bring in religion only when it directly informs policy or violence.
The GHF is a U.S.- and Israel-backed private organization launched outside the U.N. system. Coverage should identify who funds and operates it, describe reported militarization of aid distribution, and attribute allegations carefully.
To protect the security of sources in Palestine, use end-to-end encrypted apps like Signal and practice source-protection workflows, including burner devices, metadata hygiene, and secure deletion. Scrub metadata, confirm consent before naming, and offer pseudonyms when needed.
Verify rigorously and triangulate testimony with hospital and morgue logs, rights groups, and U.N. snapshots. Treat all official statements — Israeli or Palestinian — as claims until corroborated.
Practice duty of care by paying fixers and freelancers fairly and on time, crediting their work, and sharing safety plans.
Reporting on Palestine and Israel attracts coordinated brigading, doxxing, and smear campaigns designed to chill coverage rather than correct it. Treat this as a newsroom-level safety and integrity issue, not an individual reporter’s problem.
Separate good-faith critique from brigading. A single detailed correction request from a relevant expert warrants further examination and discussion with editors. Coordinated copy-paste accusations do not.
Protect sources and freelancers. Use Signal or another end-to-end encrypted app by default. Scrub metadata on shared files. Confirm consent for naming. Never forward harassment to sources.
Care for the team. Provide counseling and decompression time after abuse spikes. Managers should proactively check in on MENA journalists who are often targeted.
