From simple protests to country-wide revolutions, media has proven time and time again to be an extremely useful tool in getting people’s voices across, especially considering how it is usually controlled by the government that sends its own oppressive messages to the world. This could not be truer in the case of the Zapatista movement, where the rebels were one of the first to utilize the media for their advantage and gain internal and external momentum because of it (Padgett, 2017). Looking at the Palestinian situation, one may notice that the international community either hears what the United States spreads about the situation in the Middle East, or simply does not care enough to be bothered with it. Usually it is the latter, and I would argue that that is due to the lack of appearance Palestinians have in media; they do not exist for anyone but themselves and the nearby Arab regions. If Palestinians focused more on countering the dominant American narrative created for them based on vilification and terrorism, they could succeed in humanizing themselves in the eyes of the international community and garner more support for their cause and their rights. Activism is really important, and if practiced well, then silencing Palestinian activists would result in voices being louder and the tactics of oppression would backfire. People are ready to fight for a cause, an undying pure idea, they just need to be showed where it is and why it is worth it.
References
Padgett, R. (2017). Radical Legacy of the Zapatista’s Media Strategy – SVLLY(wood) |. Retrieved from http://www.svllywood.com/intifadaessays/radicalmedia
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