WW journalist receives Project Censored award

An article by Sara Flounders on the Palestinian people’s resistance to the Israeli siege of Gaza has been recognized by Project Censored and included in its list of the year’s top 25 most-censored stories.

Flounders’ article, “The tunnels of Gaza: An underground economy and resistance symbol,” first appeared in the Workers World newspaper of Feb. 11. It brought to light what the corporate media in this country has buried or ignored.

The Web site of Project Censored explains: “Eighteen months ago, outraged when the Palestinians of Gaza voted for the leadership of Hamas in democratic elections, Israel imposed a total lockdown on the entire population of Gaza. The Palestinians, determined to continue to resist occupation, found a way to circumvent total starvation. Author Sara Flounders notes, ‘The Israeli blockade led to a new economic structure, an underground economy. The besieged Palestinians have dug more than 1,000 tunnels under the totally sealed border. Many thousands of Palestinians are now employed in digging, smuggling or transporting, and reselling essential goods.’”

Visitors to www.projectcensored.org will find the award to the Workers World article by following the link to “Top 25 Censored Stories – 2010.” Don’t be confused—the stories listed are from 2008 and 2009. The award is given under category 11, “Private Corporations Profit from the Occupation of Palestine.”

Project Censored describes itself as a media research group that “tracks the news published in independent journals and newsletters. From these, Project Censored compiles an annual list of 25 news stories of social significance that have been overlooked, under-reported or self-censored by the country’s major national news media.”

Flounders told Workers World, “The importance of receiving this award is that it recognizes the indomitable will of the Palestinians to survive as a people despite all obstacles put in their way.”

Flounders, in addition to being a regular contributor to Workers World newspaper, is co-director of the International Action Center and a leading member of Workers World Party. She has visited Palestine twice and witnessed the terrible conditions imposed by the Israeli occupation, especially in Gaza.