When Media Sanitizes Atrocity

The Gaza School Massacre, the Urgent Need for Independent Journalism, and the Dire Need for Reliable News Access

As I reported on this week, on May 25, 2025, the Israeli military bombed the Fahmi al-Jarjawi School in Gaza City, a shelter for displaced families. At least 36 people were killed, including 18 children and six women—burned alive in the flames. Among the survivors was five-year-old Ward al-Sheikh Khalil, who escaped the flames that claimed her mother and five siblings. This incident highlighted two critical and hard truths: Corporate media continues to whitewash atrocity, and we need to invest in tools to ensure the media we are consuming is accurate and reliable.

Let’s Address This.

Credit: Boston University College of Communication Center for Mobile Communication Studies

Despite the harrowing nature of this event, much of the corporate media coverage was muted. Corporate headlines often echoed the Israeli military's talking points, diminished the seriousness of this atrocity, and in some cases, flat out lied. For example, consider this grotesque headline from The Washington Post:

Who conducted the strikes? How many people were killed? Who was killed? How were they killed? We know none of this vital information from the headline. Worse, the headline sanitizes the atrocity by claiming that food is now being distributed. First, what does this food distribution have to do with deadly strikes? Second, it is an abject lie to claim that food is actually being distributed, as the UN reports that the Israeli blockade is resulting in famine, and moreover, the alleged distribution is but a drop of the food necessary for survival. Meanwhile, just 24 hours later the Washington Post had no problem naming Russia as the aggressor against Ukraine.

And the Washington Post wasn’t alone in failing to report meaningful information. Reuters skipped the mass killing of Palestinians altogether, and went straight to misrepresenting the food crisis. The Reuters headline would have us believe that it is looters, not the Israeli government, who is blocking food into Gaza. This misdirection, bias, and flat out disinformation is only further enabling harm and genocide, and doing nothing to keep anyone safe.

Not to be outdone in misinformation and misdirection, the New York Times ignored the broader story altogether, and spoke of one family only. Instead of acknowledging that Israeli airstrikes on a school turned shelter killed more than 50 people, the New York Times chose to minimize the atrocity. Worse, it then quotes the Israeli government in a sympathetic way as “checking” if it had harmed “uninvolved civilians.” First of all, how does the New York Times define an “uninvolved civilian” versus an “involved civilian?” We never find out. Second, why is the New York Times whitewashing the murder of civilians at all? Finally, why did the New York Times refuse to report that the Israeli strike on civilians burned them to death in holocaust style fashion?

This pattern of failed and biased reporting raises concerns about media run by billionaires, and their sanitization of atrocities. Meanwhile, several independent outlets effectively highlighted the lack of warning before the horrific strikes by the Israeli government, the absence of militant activity at the school, the killing by burning of babies, Israel’s illegal blockade causing famine in Gaza, and the lack of any meaningful accountability for the Israeli government. These reports underscored the importance of diverse media perspectives in understanding complex conflicts.

But while independent media outlets readily provided these more detailed and factually accurate accounts, there remain two problems. One, their reach is just not yet to the level of corporate media platforms backed by billionaires. Two, too few readers yet have easy access to identify accurate vs biased reporting.

How Do We Address These Problems?

We are living through a moment where babies are being burned alive in Gaza. Where entire families are being incinerated in their sleep. And yet, corporate media headlines still dance around the truth—sanitizing horror, softening genocide, and refusing to name what is plainly before us.

Let me be clear: this is not journalism. This is complicity.

But I don’t believe in just naming the problem—I believe in building the solution. Because we are not helpless. And we are absolutely not without tools.

Here are two solutions that work:

1. Support Independent Writing

When I launched Let’s Address This, it wasn’t just to report on injustice—it was to confront it and build a community to stand against it. Over 400 pieces later, we’ve reached more than 25 million people. That reach exists because of you. Because you’ve chosen to invest in truth over profit. Because you understand that corporate media can’t be trusted to tell the full story—especially when their million-dollar advertisers and billionaire owners demand silence.

If you’re a subscriber—thank you. If you’re not yet—join us. Because while we will never enact a paywall, every share, every read, and every subscription is a blow against the systems that profit off our ignorance.

2. Use Ground News—Right Now

If you care about getting the critical context missing from your typical newsfeeds—and I know you do—you need Ground News. I use it every day to write these articles. It’s not just a news app and website—it’s a weapon against propaganda.

Here’s why Ground News matters:

✅ Bias Detection – See immediately where every outlet leans: left, center, or right. No more hidden agendas. No more smoke and mirrors.
✅ Funding Transparency – Know who’s pulling the strings. Whether it's a defense contractor, a pharmaceutical giant, or a billionaire mogul, Ground News exposes the money behind the media.
✅ Global Comparison – Get a 360° view. See how the same story is reported in the U.S., the Middle East, and Europe. Build factual conclusions. Don’t let corporate America build them for you.

So my ask of you is this: As you navigate media inaccuracies, funding secrecy, and national bias, do so with tools that stop letting other people's agendas control how you think: subscribe to Ground News for 40% off—just $5/month. The below link directly supports my work—and most importantly, it arms you with the ability to verify your sources in an era of relentless disinformation.

And unlike billionaire-run media, Ground News is reader-supported. It is built for people, not profits. It answers to you, not advertisers.

The Time for Action Is Now

Again, we are not powerless. We can still choose what we read. We can still choose to support the journalists and platforms that put truth over profits. We can still fight back—with information, with solidarity, and with courage. This is why I write. This is why I publish daily. This is why I partner with Ground News.

Democracy doesn’t die overnight—it dies one ignored atrocity at a time. Let us make sure it does not die on our watch.