A new academic study analyzing more than 1,500 New York Times articles published following the October 7 massacre found what its author describes as a significant and persistent anti-Israel bias in the newspaper’s coverage of the Gaza war.

The study, conducted by Prof. Edieal Pinker of Yale University’s School of Management and published in the academic journal Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, examined 1,559 New York Times articles published between October 7, 2023, and June 7, 2024.

According to the study, the Times’ coverage consistently placed overwhelming responsibility for the war on Israel while minimizing Hamas’ role in the continued fighting and giving comparatively little attention to Israeli civilian and military casualties after October 7.

Pinker found that reports frequently focused on Israeli military action and Palestinian casualties while rarely mentioning subsequent Israeli casualties, Hamas terrorist casualties, or continued Palestinian violence.

The study also examined the human-interest aspect of the Times’ reporting. According to Pinker, personal accounts highlighting the suffering of Gaza residents appeared on average at least four days each week, while comparable coverage of suffering among Israeli civilians and soldiers was largely absent.

Pinker argued that the imbalance created a narrative portraying Israel as the primary aggressor while presenting Gazans largely as passive victims, with insufficient attention given to Hamas rocket fire, terrorism and its use of civilian areas. The study said Israeli victims of terror attacks in Yehuda and Shomron during the period examined also received little coverage.

The New York Times has previously rejected allegations that its reporting is biased against Israel, maintaining that it has covered the war thoroughly and professionally. The newspaper did not provide a response to the New York Post regarding the findings of the new study.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)