California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

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War Correspondent Relates Experiences to Students

The Israeli journalist encouraged students to question
media.

Jerusalem Post military correspondent Yaakov Katz spoke to students yesterday about the immense power of journalism, the need to question media and his experiences covering the controversial Israeli-Arab conflict.

Sponsored by the Israeli consulate in San Francisco, Chicago-born Katz began his presentation relaying to students the challenges media faces in journalism and what it truly means to be a journalist today.

Speaking passionately and eloquently on his many dangerous reporting situations during the tumultuous war between Israel and Shi’a Muslim militant and political group Hezbollah in 2006, Katz counseled future journalists to remain ethical in their reporting and readers to demand accountability from their media.

“How do you tell a story? If you just look at the dry facts, what appears in front of you, what you seem to see is not always the real story,” said Katz.

Also a correspondent for USA Today and London-based Jane’s Defence Weekly, Katz commented on the risks associated with print media as well as many challenges currently impending effective results.

Attributing newspaper space, time of production and the effects of the Internet as the main issues he feels are defacing accuracy in print and photo journalism, Katz impelled attendees to not accept everything thrown at them as truth, and that only through probing for answers will the media be made more accountable.

The journalist, many in attendance later remarked, offered valuable and significant advice for an era shaped by constant media flow, which is often from differing and questionable sources which deface the truth for personal gain.

The constant advice to not be susceptible to bias reporting and understanding context for stories and history, many said, was powerful and inspiring to see a journalist acknowledge mistakes in the industry.

“Everybody is human, everyone makes mistakes,” remarked Katz. “But let’s understand that in conflict like [controversial war], you have to question where it is coming from and from whom. Or else you will be left with false information that could damage the course of events.”

“Use that power,” Katz added. “Don’t let anyone take it from you.”

Katz, who spent January 2009 with the Israel Defense Forces along Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip leading the paper’s coverage of Israel’s war against Hamas, intrigued attendees on his war stories and his many close encounters with death.

Despite this, Katz appeared resolved in his task to report and exemplified a line of work where people place themselves in danger aiming to uncover the truth.

“I realized it’s my job, it’s my job,” spoke Katz emphatically.

Though he spoke about questioning biases in media, Katz’s presentation only seemed to expose errors he felt were made towards the Israeli conflict, not so much the other way around.

Yet, many remarked, his underlying message rang true with many students, whether pursuing journalism or simply aware of the conflict in the Middle East about how newspapers and photography greatly influence what we deem as reality.

“What are you supposed to believe? What can you even believe anymore,” said Katz.

Though many students were mainly interested in the dangerous aspects of military correspondence, Katz still said it is the best beat to cover, and reporting is “worth every risk.”

Mentioning his book, “Israel vs. Iran–The Shadow War,” Katz said in the end he hoped attendees would gain light into the industry and from it learn to always analyze what we are told is “truth.”

“I viewed it as a unique opportunity to be able to share my experiences with other like minded potential journalists in the making and tell them my story, and different examples of the complex reality of covering conflicts like the Israeli-Arab conflict,” said Katz. “I hope they really learn from it.”

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California State University East Bay
War Correspondent Relates Experiences to Students