From January to June 2025, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza drew significant media attention. Our new report, Starvation in Gaza, examines how this coverage unfolded across top-tier online media in nine languages, focusing specifically on the term “starvation.”
The analysis reveals widespread visibility. English and Arabic media led the coverage, accounting for nearly 75% of all articles. However, the presence of Spanish, French, and Turkish sources indicates broader international awareness. Notably, Hebrew and Russian media showed minimal engagement, raising questions about editorial priorities and political sensitivities.
While headlines captured the scale of the crisis, deeper insights show uneven global amplification. Leading Western outlets like the BBC and The Guardian helped shape narratives, but many mainstream brands, including CNN and Le Monde, had limited visibility in top volume rankings. Regional Arabic platforms, such as Saba Net and Safa News, provided the most extensive reporting.
For a real-world illustration, this BBC report captures the severity of malnutrition in Gaza:
Importantly, the media focus leaned heavily toward the consequences of malnutrition, suffering, and civilian impact rather than exploring root causes like blockades or diplomatic inertia. International responses also featured prominently, yet true humanitarian accountability appeared underemphasized.
Our findings also spotlight gaps between awareness and action. Despite high media volume, the persistence of the crisis suggests limited policy impact. Media framing plays a crucial role here: when stories emphasize tragedy without context or solutions, public discourse risks becoming stagnant.
This report underscores the need for more balanced and sustained media engagement. It highlights how media monitoring tools can help governments, NGOs, and communication teams track narrative trends, evaluate public sentiment, and adjust messaging in real-time.
Check out the full report to understand the patterns, coverage disparities, and strategic implications of the global media’s response to starvation in Gaza.
