Conversations with the "other" aka biased news reporting.

So, I was at a fair  on Sat.  I was waiting to try "sonic massage" (with gongs, interesting) and was making small talk with the other woman waiting with me.    She actually does PR/marketing for the Bushnell, and I tried to get her to come help my little theatre... but we got to talking after that...and she is Israeli.   We agreed on some things, that the US should keep its nose out of other people's business, and that we both gained weight when we came to the States.   (which we did, and twenty years later, its still with me...blah)

Anyway, there were a few times when you could tell we were both struggling to find diplomatic ways to talk about stuff...  we were both being VERY careful to pick our words.   But I was amazed to hear from her that she has been hearing that the Muslim Brotherhood is coming to power in Egypt, and that the Israeli websites/news sources she reads are predicting another Iran.  

Yet, at the same time, she hadn't heard that Mubarak and his sons had been arrested and were going to undergo a trial, which I thought was a positive step.  

She also reads the BBC website, which she said was pro-Arab.  

I did not say that one of my news sources is Al-Jazeera.

We both agreed that we hate the lack of reporting here in the States, Fox is one extreme, NBC is another.

Where is the middle ground?   There is such extreme bias in the news reporting that I have given up watching the news, really.   I check online, get updates and read articles that my Egyptian friends post on Facebook...  

But I have not gotten the impression that there is going to be another Iran.  I wonder if the Muslim Brotherhood is as prevalent as people outside Egypt seem to think.   I also got the impression that Tahrir helped people bond in good ways, as Egyptians.

But it was just fascinating having this conversation, from someone who, in some ways thinks  the same way, but in others, is completely different, and who is also of a nationality that I immediately go on "guard" with.   Not that I am offensive or defensive, but just cautious.  As was she with me.   Because that is what we were taught.