ABSTRACT
In the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001 on the United States, the American media tried to convey Arab and Muslim governments’ and peoples’ reactions. Although all Arab1 governments, with the exception of Iraq, condemned the attacks and offered their condolences to the United States, some stories in the news media portrayed a sense of satisfaction, even justice, in some Arab (particularly Palestinian) streets. While CNN aired footage of West Bank Palestinians celebrating the attacks, Chomsky (2001) suggested that lack of context and information in Western media about the Arab world could cause misunderstanding among individuals who do not have a sense of the bigger picture. What is the bigger picture? How accurate were the media portrayals? To what extent were those pictures a reflection of Arab sentiment?
