In an era marked by rapid misinformation and digital echo chambers, leading Christian journalists and media producers gathered in Jerusalem to discuss the spiritual and professional obligations of reporting the truth during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
During a panel moderated by Mayan Hoffman at the seventh Christian Media Summit held in Jerusalem on November 6, veteran journalists Chris Mitchell, chief of the Middle East Bureau for Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) News; Felice Friedson, founder and president of The Media Line; and Stephen Briggs, founder of Hatikvah Film Truth, a Christian ministry producing documentaries about Israel, and host of a weekly podcast called "Israel Matters," discussed the biblical definition of truth (emet) and the unique role of Christian media in combating the "avalanche of lies" following the October 7 attacks.
In the panel titled "Faith & Journalism: How to Report the Truth Amidst an Avalanche of Lies," Mitchell stated that first-hand witnesses on the ground combats lies, misinformation, and disinformation. He raised the question about the Hamas-led October 7 attacks: Did it really happen? Was it AI-generated? Was it an Israeli false flag?
Recounting his visit to Kibbutz Be'eri, a close-knit Israeli community near the Gaza border where more than 100 people were murdered on October 7, 2023, he said, "When you can see things first-hand, it makes a huge difference." He heard the stories from the people and saw the battle scars of the kibbutz by himself. "We felt an obligation to see it first-hand, to be able to report on it and tell people, 'This is actually what Hamas did.'"
Friedson explained the word "truth" as the scholarly work of art that needs to be deciphered among different opinions. "If you believe in God, it's God's truth, but we as journalists have to seek the truth, story by story, and not make it up."
She addressed the secular media's tendency to prioritize speed over accuracy, citing the report of the Al-Ahli Hospital blast as a prime example of journalistic failure. "Hundreds of people were claimed to have been killed by Israel. In the end, Israel was not involved in that attack." She called for a return to education and humility in the newsroom.
"To be first is nice, but accuracy is more important," Friedson noted. She emphasized that Christian and fact-based journalists must hold institutions accountable and ensure that facts are not "weaponized" to fit a narrative.
Briggs grounded the concept of journalism in the Hebrew word for truth, emet. "If we are journalists and we are not expressing truth, we are expressing the counterfeit of reality," Briggs stated. Quoting scripture, he reminded the audience, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."
As more people turn to CBN for truth due to frustrations with the mainstream media, Mitchell mentioned the word of the prophet Isaiah – "truth is stumbling in the streets" – which depicts the current situation. He urged Christian media outlets to realize that "we are battling a spiritual battle." When he and Joel Rosenberg went into a tunnel in Khan Yunis, which is near the place where 12 Israeli hostages were kept, they prayed for their release.
"For CBN, we want to just do what we can to expand our footprint, and my prayer would be for all of us here that we could expand and combat what has become maybe the battle for our age, the battle for truth."
CBN News is producing a new documentary series called "Israel Under Fire: History, Prophecy, and What You Need to Know" to help equip the church with what's going on in Israel, according to Mitchell. The first episode was shot on Elon Moreh under the title of "From Abraham to Today's Headlines," followed by the remaining six episodes about the October 7 attacks, Palestine, Christian persecution and revival, and Jerusalem, etc.
As Isaiah 62 states, being watchmen and watchwomen on the walls to make Jerusalem the praise of the earth, Mitchell shared that the CBN News staff in Jerusalem prays every day at 9:30 am, which makes a difference. Asked if the Christian faith confronts journalistic instincts, he answered, "Our faith informs us and is what we depend on."
Concerning coverage on non-religious issues, he said the standard is the same as for any news, and he had a better understanding of "how things unfold" after having stayed in Israel for 25 years. After the October 7 attacks, Hamas began reporting on death figures, which they did the same thing in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021. "Unfortunately, much of the media has been reporting the death toll figures verbatim from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health." He said, "You need to discern what is propaganda, what is truth, what are lies, misinformation, or disinformation."
"I think experience helps to discern what's happening, especially in this environment when Hamas uses propaganda as a tool, as they've done with their false claims of starvation, of famine," he added.
As the session concluded, the panel offered advice to the next generation of journalists. Briggs exhorted young reporters to ensure their work is motivated by love rather than hatred, referencing 1 Corinthians 13:1. "Once you lay that as your foundation for your journalism endeavor, you will see the blessing of God, the blessing of Hashem ("God" in Hebrew) behind that, because He loves the fact that He is a God of love and He desires His people to reflect His character."
Mitchell said that, just as a pen is similar to a weapon, journalists are teammates in the information war. "One of the scriptures that CBN News has been employed for decades is found in Chronicles: 'The sons of Issachar understood the times and they knew what Israel should do.' So in our reporting, it's not just simply facts, but bringing it from a biblical perspective so that people can understand where we are today, prophetically," he added.
