Whether you're trying to put the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian violence in context for your audience or trying to stay informed yourself, here's a list of social media accounts to check out, followed by a list of sites that can help you understand the background on the conflict:
On Facebook
A number of journalists who are currently covering the conflict from the field have been using Facebook effectively to disseminate information and engage with the audience. Among them is Ayman Mohyeldin, a foreign correspondent for NBC News. The Arab-American journalist (who was pulled back briefly from Gaza and then sent back after a backlash) was among the first journalists to report the story of the four Palestinian children who were killed on a Gaza beach by an Israeli raid. Mohyeldin’s coverage of the conflict has earned him the respect of fellow journalists.
You can view Mohyeldin’s Facebook page here, and follow his updates by subscribing to his feed.
The New York Times' Jerusalem correspondent Jodi Rudoren's reports are widely read and discussed worldwide. In addition to her timely updates, she is also known for her effective engagement with readers on her Facebook page.
Also reporting from the field is The Times' Anne Barnard. She posts regular updates from Gaza on her verified Facebook timeline.
On Twitter
There is no doubt that Twitter is changing the coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Here are a few journalists worth following on Twitter for their updates from the region: Sarah Hussein of AFP, Nick Casey, the Middle East correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, Rushdi Abualouf, a Palestinian journalist based in Gaza and Ruth Eglash, The Washington Post correspondent in Jerusalem.
You can find even more Twitter accounts to follow on this list.
Background on the conflict
If you are new to explaining the conflict, the following sites will explain how things reached this point:
The BBC has a page dedicated to the conflict under the title “Middle East Conflict,” which includes some background.
Another resource to check out is the Council on Foreign Relations' interactive crisis guide, which provides historical and geographical background.
Vox magazine gives a basic overview of the conflict in its article, “9 questions about the Israel-Palestine conflict you were too embarrassed to ask.”
Finally, the Huffington Post has a dedicated page on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with updated news and contributors’ blogs.
Natasha Tynes is a Washington-based journalist.
Archive photo courtesy of Joe Catron on Flickr with a CC-license.
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