Wars, civil wars and revolutions tend to create multiple truths rather than any one easily-agreeable truth. And the civil war in Syria, now raging since March 2011 (over 100,000 dead and 4 million refugees according to the UN) with little indication of any imminent cessation of hostilities, is no exception. How has the Western media fared in dealing with the complexities of reporting on such a catastrophe?

The panel will hear from a range of experts who have followed the conflict closely, including Sam Dagher who has been reporting from within Syria right up to the start of the festival. See his 24 April 2014 article Syria civil war forces brutal split in Aleppo and 25 April 2014 article Amid devastation of Aleppo, Archaeological Museum fights to preserve heritage.