Managing news in conflict - what did the international media learn from covering Gaza during the Israeli offensive in Dec 2008 / Jan 2009?

Much is at stake in managing the media when it comes to conflict. As Governments and NGOs become more media-savvy, is it possible to report transparently on war?

Media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a history of raising questions about impartiality and transparency. The reporting of Operation Cast Lead was no exception. The Israeli government succeeded in keeping most of the foreign media away from the action with AJE the only English-language channel with its own correspondents inside. Meanwhile the BBC sparked a domestic controversy by refusing to broadcast a humanitarian appeal on grounds of impartiality. What can we learn from the way the media has been managed - and managed itself - during the offensive?

Speakers: Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East Editor;  Alan Fisher and Sherrine Tadros, both Al Jazeera English;  and Louise Turner, Unseen Gaza Dispatches Director/Producer.

Wednesday 25th November, 6.30-8:00pm, Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building.

For directions to LSE, please click here.