A Lack of Balance: An Examination of Local Detroit, Michigan, Newspaper Coverage of the 2006 War in Lebanon and the 2008–2009 War in Gaza

Abstract

By examining source use and the emergence of frames, this study analyzes news coverage of the 2006 War in Lebanon and 2008–2009 War in Gaza in two local newspapers in Detroit, Michigan, USA: The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press. Metropolitan Detroit is home to the largest concentration of Arab individuals outside of the Middle East, as well as a substantial Jewish population, making it an interesting case to explore how local reporters use sources and frames to portray issues important to its readership. In the coverage of the 2006 Lebanon War, three frames emerged in both newspapers' coverage: Arabs versus Jews, interfaith efforts to bridge understanding, and the lack of American support for either side of the conflict. Several years later, the only frame that emerged in coverage of the Gaza War was Arabs versus Jews. An analysis of source use in the coverage of both wars revealed that local reporters favored Lebanese sources during the 2006 war and Israeli sources during the 2008–2009 war.