UC Davis prides itself on being a politically aware and active campus, but how many students actually question what they read in the American news media?
Yaakov Katz will offer students a different view on the international news in a presentation today at 7 p.m. at Hillel of Davis and Sacramento at 328 A St., across from Toomey Field.
As the Israel correspondent for USA Today and the military correspondent and defense analyst for The Jerusalem Post, Katz will discuss American and Israeli journalistic perspectives and the portrayal of Israel in the media.
Katz will discuss the different perspectives of each news source and the ways perspective can and does affect ongoing Israeli policy and security development.
He will also speak about ongoing developments in Israel and how media coverage can affect the situation in Israel, according to the Hillel House website.
“Katz will be able to bring his unique perspectives regarding the difference between American and Israeli journalistic perspectives,” said Aaron Sherman, sophomore international relations major and intern at the Hillel of Davis and Sacramento.
“He is writing for two different audiences,” Sherman said. “While most students are used to reading American coverage, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the Israeli coverage of Israel for and by Israelis, not just for Americans.“
Katz has worked as the chief correspondent during the Gaza strip disengagement in the summer of 2005 and has covered the police beat, settler affairs, Israel Defense Forces operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the army’s relationship with numerous sectors of Israeli society.
“I don’t think UC Davis students are exposed to hearing speakers with his kind of experience,” said Yonatan Barkan, Israel Programs Coordinator for Hillel of Davis and Sacramento. “A lot of people are interested in understanding how media works and [how it] covers these conflicts and he can explain how these decisions are made.“
Katz will speak about how to read news articles since bias may be unintentionally exhibited by news sources, especially when covering controversial topics.
“UC Davis students who are interested in current events and world development will be given an opportunity to discover a different way of looking at mainstream news articles, ” said Sherman.
Hillel House of Davis and Sacramento is a chapter of Hillel, the largest Jewish campus association in the world, according to its website.
KELLY KRAG-ARNOLD can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
