For decades, the Israeli-Arab conflict was waged on the battlefield with guns and tanks. But today – with satellite phones, the Internet, and a 24-hour news cycle – the real war is being fought in the court of public opinion.
David & Goliath is a gripping first-person narrative chronicling the “frontline” experiences of Shraga Simmons, a foremost expert on media bias and founding editor of HonestReporting. With comprehensive research and a biting edge, David & Goliath is packed with dramatic accounts of going toe-to-toe with reporters to expose media bias in the Mideast conflict.
Eleven years in the making, David & Goliath takes readers behind the scenes to witness the groundbreaking long-term study of CNN, which statistically proved a pattern of bias and shook the media world. Readers are privy to the secret negotiations with network executives, and how a grassroots campaign was cited by the New York Times as affecting sweeping changes in Mideast media coverage.
With current interest in the peace process riding high, and the media consistently focused on Israel, David & Goliath is a timely book that reveals how media misrepresentation may actually foment violence and hinder the possibility of a peaceful settlement.
David & Goliath reveals the truth behind the news business, showing how the drive for ratings and profits favors an “underdog” narrative that keeps viewers tuned into the story. While the media casts the Palestinians as “David” fighting the powerful Israeli “Goliath,” this book suggests that Israel may in fact be fighting a more powerful antagonist – the Media Goliath.
David & Goliath has received praise from leading journalists, academics and politicians. James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal called it "crucial importance for the future of the Middle East." Ed Koch, former Mayor of New York City, said that David & Goliath is "invaluable for anyone wanting the inside story." Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe called the book "astonishing, infuriating, illuminating." Professor Richard Landes of Boston University said: "This book should be required reading in Journalism 101."
