For victims of mass violence around the world, attracting foreign media attention can be a matter of life and death. Right now, Palestinian reporters are risking their lives on a daily basis to keep the world’s eyes on the suffering in Gaza, and international coverage has been crucial to receiving humanitarian aid, mobilising widespread protest movements and exerting political pressure on Israel and its allies.
The Israeli government is also clearly aware of the power of local reporting in swaying public opinion: it continues to obstruct on the ground coverage of the war, and has even allegedly targeted journalists. Simultaneously, it has made great efforts to remind the world of the horrifying details of 7 October in order to counter Hamas’s denial of massacring civilians and generate sympathy for its retaliation.
New research reveals that this struggle for international attention and compassion has a surprisingly long history. Already in the 17th century, oppressed minorities in Europe found the printing press to be a powerful ally in putting the spotlight on their agony.
