Publications

Casualties first appeared on the public, political-military, and media agenda in the democratic, Western world in the 1990s. This article seeks to examine the Israeli media’s coverage of military casualties during Operation Protective Edge, especially in light of past patterns of reporting. Despite the public feeling that the operation was necessary, coverage did not totally revert to “traditional” patterns. During the case in point, the media dealt with causalities and the human price paid in war; however, it tried consciously to prevent damage to national morale and avoided being critical. The price in human lives was presented in such a way so as not to induce a sense of demoralization, but rather an intensified sense of national pride. Such conduct leads us to reflect on the Israeli media’s role in issues of security, as well as how the media perceives its role in these contexts.