ing the territories to journalists.
This was due in part to the fact,
as the author notes, that "few
spokesmen in Israel have had
any training in either journalism
or public relations." Thus, those
in charge of Israeli information
didn't bother to consider the con-
sequences of ostracizing them-
selves and the journalists.
The foreign TV crews prompt-
ly relied mostly on Palestinian
sources. Thus, in the early stages
of the uprising, Americans got to
see only one side of the conflict
(the Israeli authorities were un-
able to adequately answer re-
porters' questions) — and that
from a completely self-interested
and obviously biased perspective.
Again and again Mr. Lederman
shows how modern communica-
tions technology has successful-
ly undermined the attempts of
the authorities to control, chan-
nel and censor information —
from the computer modem to the
cellular telephone to the fax and
finally to satellite pickup of re-
porters' transmissions, thereby
bypassing the censorship appa-
ratus altogether.
Luckily for Israel, the PLO and
ultimately the local intifada lead-
ership also acted stupidly. Fear-
ful that the intifada would allow
an indigenous leadership to
evolve, the POL tried to attract
attention in Tunis — a fateful
mistake because it turned the
center of media attention away
from the powerful visuals of vio-
lence in the territories to the non-
visuals of PLO leaders giving
press conferences.
Mr. Lederman's book is chock
full of other substantive issues:
the lack of balance in reporting
from a democratic country with
minimal press restrictions (Israel)
compared to a place where jour-
nalists can't report from at all
(Syria): the extent to which jour-
nalists should become "partners"
in the international political
process (e.g. initiating linkups be-
tween heads of state); the use of
TV advertising techniques (quick
cuts, short sound bites) in the
news formation to hold the audi-
ences attention at the cost of clar-
ity and balance; changing the
sequence of events to make the
point stronger but not reflective
of reality, etc.
Battle Lines is for all audi-
ences. Scholars will find much to
cogitate upon, journalists are
served up huge amounts of food
for self-reflective thought, politi-
cians will have enough material
to make them think twice (or
more) before blindly dealing with
the media in the future, and the
general public (Israeli and for-
eign) will benefit most of all in un-
derstanding just how the nightly
news broadcast and daily papers
work, and why the press is doing
justice neither to t!- events nor
to the audience. For its genre,
Battle Lines is a bona fide mas-
terpiece. ❑
0
Start the year off
on the Right Foot...
Thursday, September 15
9:00 p.m.
at the Annual Singles
(21 and over with valid ID)
Break the Fast Dance
• Door Prizes - Win 2 tickets to see Jewish Ensemble Theatre's
Lost in Yonkers or a 3-month Health Club Membership
• Refreshments
• Dancing - D.J. Eric Harris
• Cash Bar - Beer Ve Wine
CC
of Metropolitan Detroit
Maple/Drake
Building
Admission: $8.00 in advance or $10.00 at the door.
For further information, call 661-7678.