"In the face of all of the trash that continues to pass for news and analysis of the Palestine-Israel conflict, Shupak deserves immense praise for working to set the record straight."
Middle East Eye
The Wrong Storylays bare the flaws in the way large media organizations present the PalestineIsrael issue. It points out major fallacies in the fundamental conceptions that underpin their coverage, namely that Palestinians and Israelis are both victims to comparable extents and are equally responsible for the failure to find a solution; that the problem is "extremists," often religiously-motivated ones, who need to be sidelined in favour of "moderates"; and that Israel's uses of force are typically justifiable acts of self-defense.
Weaving together the existing literature with new insights, Shupak offers an up-to-date and tightly focused guide that exposes the distorted way these issues are presented and why each is misguided.
About the Author :
Greg Shupakhas a PhD in Literary Studies and teaches Media Studies at the University of Guelph in Toronto. His fiction has appeared in a wide range of literary journals and he regularly writes analysis of politics and media for a variety of outlets includingElectronic Intifada,In These Times,Jacobin,Literary Review of Canada,Middle East Eye,TeleSUR,This Magazine, andWarscapes.
Review :
“By refusing the ‘both sides’ narrative Greg Shupak reminds the reader of the asymmetrical relation between the colonizer and the colonized … Distortions, falsifications and omissions, the author asserts, have largely been characteristic of existing media. I highly recommend this book for media students and experts.” —Nahla Abdo, author, Captive Revolution
“In The Wrong Story, Gregory Shupak powerfully dismantles the mainstream English-language press’ deeply problematic—and false—narrative about Palestine … Give this book both to those interested in learning (or unlearning) about Palestine, and to those eager to learn about deconstructing the media’s lies and, unfortunately, all too often the false framing of the so-called human rights organizations.”
—Rania Masri
“Shupak’s The Wrong Story is a crisply written yet formidable analysis of some of the key tropes underlying media narratives surrounding Palestine–Israel. Neatly organized around the New York Times’ coverage of Israel’s attacks against the Gaza Strip in 2014, the book powerfully reveals the hidden histories of colonization, dispossession, and occupation. A searing indictment of how the corporate media frames Israeli state policy—and a much needed corrective for all those interested in really understanding the ongoing injustice against the Palestinian people.” —Adam Hanieh, author Capitalism and Class in the Gulf Arab States
“The unrelenting, decades-long pattern of biased media coverage of the Israel/Palestine conflict has had deadly consequences for the Palestinians. Seeing through it requires rigorous study and careful thinking. In The Wrong Story, Greg Shupak demonstrates not only how and why the media are so awful on this issue, but also what coverage of Israel/Palestine reveals about media frames and biases more generally. The result is an invaluable short course on the media.” —Justin Podur, Professor, York University; author, Haiti’s New Dictatorship
“A powerful and insightful analysis that confronts, challenges and exposes the systematically deceptive frameworks and narratives in English-language mainstream media regarding Palestine and the Palestinian people. Shupak’s careful and precise work lays bare the colonial realities that are routinely evaded by major corporate and official media. It is a necessary tool for researchers, activists, students and all media consumers who wish to understand the reality of occupation, colonization and apartheid in Palestine.” —Charlotte Kates, International Coordinator, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
“In the tradition of Norman Finkelstein’s work, Shupak uses evidence to challenge three dominant narratives presented by the mainstream media about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He guides readers through media misrepresentation in order to grasp the complex reality of two unequal parties in a situation of occupation. Drawing on the events of 2014, but also the broader context of the conflict, this book is a great teaching tool about the Israeli occupation of Palestine for university students as well as general audiences.” —Dr. Angela Joya, Department of International Studies, University of Oregon
“Greg Shupak’s book is a nuanced, engaging and accessible deconstruction of the often distorted media narratives around Palestine/Israel. He compels the reader to see beyond simplistic headlines and overly rehearsed soundbites. This is a very welcome and timely intervention.” —Rafeef Ziadah, University of London, author and performer of We Teach Life
“In his judicious study of corporate media narratives on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Gregory Shupak uncovers and debunks the misleading tropes that have allowed Israel to maintain its military and expansionist policies. Shupak not only deconstructs the media narratives that perpetuate Israel’s illegal and oppressive practices, but links these narratives to the political economy of global capitalism under American hegemony. With a careful and insightful analysis of comparative evidence, Shupak succeeds in recasting the conflict in ways that point towards liberation for all parties interested in peace and justice.” —Jerome Klassen, University of Massachusetts Boston
