On the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre, mainstream broadcast networks displayed a stark pro‑Israel bias, repeatedly framing the tragedy as a moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel.
Media Bias Dominates Oct. 7 Coverage
CBS anchor Gayle King declared on Oct. 7 that Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostage, while Israel’s response killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry run by Hamas. The comparison suggests Israel is 60 times deadlier than Hamas.
Hamas does not separate combatant casualties from civilian deaths, and networks rarely note that the group embeds fighters among civilians to maximize civilian harm. This omission inflates the casualty disparity presented in media reports.
Journalists also directed intense criticism at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing partisan attacks that surfaced after 9/11. Multiple warnings reached Netanyahu a week and a half before the attack, including claims that the UAE and Egyptian intelligence warned him, which he dismissed as lies.
NPR’s front page on the anniversary read “3 years on, Israelis grapple with reports Netanyahu was warned before Oct. 7 attacks,” citing four anonymous sources with “direct knowledge.” Netanyahu denied the claims, called them fake news, and filed a defamation lawsuit against Israeli outlets.
Broadcast networks gave the anniversary minimal airtime: ABC limited coverage to 13 seconds, CBS and NBC delivered somber pieces, while PBS devoted 13 minutes to a dialogue between an Israeli and a Palestinian who lost family members. The disparity highlights a selective focus on the story.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked the day by condemning the loss, then accused Israel of ongoing genocide in Gaza, prompting boos and anti‑Israel chants at a Union Square vigil. His subsequent appearance on the “Today” show, where he demanded ICE be removed from schools, hospitals and streets, revealed a selective outrage that aligned with anti‑Trump narratives.
Thus, the coverage prioritized Mamdani’s anti‑immigration tirade over his incendiary remarks about Jewish genocide, illustrating a clear media bias that favors political narratives over factual balance.
