Laying the blame, visually.
It's always interesting to see how the media covers two similar stories in different parts of the world, to see how the story is handled, and to note what kinds of subtle messages creep into the overall story that's being told by our intrepid journalists. Case in point is this photo above, taken at the precise moment that the Israeli army showed up to demolish this poor woman's living quarters.
Obviously, judging by the angle, we're supposed to sympathize with this woman's plight.
Israeli soldiers stand guard near a Palestinian Bedouin woman reacting after her family's shacks and tents were destroyed by Israeli bulldozers near the Jewish settlement of Sosia, in the village of Yatta south of the West Bank city of Hebron, on May 5, 2011. The shacks were located in the so-called Area C, a closed military zone where Israel exercises full control. AFP PHOTO/HAZEM BADER (Photo credit should read HAZEM BADER/AFP/Getty Images)
[ Daylife Link 2 3 ]
Compare that to the photo below, taken by AP stringer Mohammed Zaatari in the non-dastardly country of Lebanon.
Sad, yes, but...
Notice the subtle differences in framing here -- For starters, the structure itself, which is clearly not safe for occupation by any reasonable human being, is prominently displayed in the background. This puts in the viewer's mind the fact that these women probably should have gotten a building permit from the government before putting that little deathtrap together. And notice also that the antagonists from the Lebanese army are conveniently nowhere to be seen in frame.
Drawing from the inference here, I gather that we're supposed to feel slightly sorry for these Lebanese women, but they clearly had it coming due to their abject lack of licensing, which clearly brought their current plight upon themselves.
The Palestinian women, on the other hand, are clearly the victims of unjustified and flagrant abuse by their evil Zionist overlords.
Like I said, the subtle differences are quite interesting.
Lebanese women react as policemen arrive to demolish their illegal building, seen behind, in the southern town of Adloun, Lebanon, Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Illegal construction is common in Lebanon, where many poor who cannot afford to buy land or apartments end up building on state-owned property. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
[ Daylife Link 2 ]
