The true nature of journalism is revealed in its news coverage of crises, especially when driven by agendas that lead to a misleading picture. This transcends the concept of journalism based on reporting the news without opinion, resulting in reader confusion and the creation of a false image that distorts the truth and obscures the reality that influences public opinion in the target society.
In the Iran war crisis, observers of American newspapers and media platforms notice a clear bias in the news coverage of some of these outlets against the position of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, particularly The New York Times. The Times is presenting a distorted picture of the Gulf position, especially that of Saudi Arabia, which has explicitly stated its stance on the war and the military escalation that threatens security and stability in the Middle East and risks exacerbating the global energy crisis.
The news coverage in this internationally circulated newspaper has become mired in misleading reporting about the position of Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries, serving domestic political agendas in the United States and partisan conflicts unrelated to journalistic work. It has become more akin to a partisan publication than a general newspaper addressing public opinion across all political affiliations. This lapse is reminiscent of its previous disastrous missteps in its coverage of the Iraq War and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where it sided with Israel at the expense of the massacres perpetrated by the Israeli occupation army against children, women, and unarmed civilians.
The Harvard International Journal of Journalism and Politics published a lengthy report in 2003 on the newspaper’s unprofessional bias in its news coverage. The report concluded that the newspaper showed more sympathy for the Israelis than for the Palestinians, at the expense of the truth. In its current coverage of the Gulf states’ position on the Iran-Iraq War, particularly the Saudi position, its use of misleading headlines, images, graphics, documentation practices, and editorial paragraphs based on anonymous and unreliable news sources is blatantly obvious. This constitutes an insult to the image of a true journalist.
Manipulating information cannot be considered journalism, nor can it be confined to the realm of differing opinions. If news falls into the realm of opinion, It lost its status as news; it became an ideological publication with no connection whatsoever to journalism. This prompted several senior journalists at the newspaper to resign, including Jasmine Hughes, Jamie Loren, and many others on a long list of journalists who resigned due to the misleading reporting and editorial style that resembled deliberate fabrication more than journalism.
The newspaper recently intensified its publication of reports claiming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman advised US President Donald Trump to “continue striking the Iranians hard.” These claims are not only false but illogical, insulting the reader’s intelligence and disregarding journalistic ethics. This is especially true given that Saudi Arabia and all the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have maintained a clear position since the first day of the conflict with Iran, emphasizing the importance of ending the war and halting military escalation. They understand that prolonging the conflict threatens the development climate in which the GCC states, along with Egypt, have made significant strides—striking that cannot be sacrificed under any circumstances.
Anyone following the political situation in the Middle East will find that Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states have opened doors to peace with Iran since 2020, and have provided tremendous opportunities to help Tehran re-engage in the system of peace and development in the region. This proves the inaccuracy of journalistic reports that lead the reader towards alleged and unreal scenes, which only serve to mislead and insult the profession of journalism and the credibility of media work. The recipient pays a heavy price for this in terms of distorted awareness and the absence of the correct news picture, which is exploited by many parties wishing to create more tension and ignite conflict in the Middle East region as a whole.
