Small US military units have reportedly infiltrated into Afghanistan on the Osama hunt, without any reporrters being allowed to tag along. The big fireworks that media warriors expect to show haven’t erupted yet, and so we are still in a waiting period, an interregnum of apprehension where suddenly everything looks much more complicated than it did week ago on the two battlefields, one of combat and teh other of information.

Mediachannel is casting its net as wide as possible to cover the coverage with the help of friends and thoughtful observers like Barbara Jones at the Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK who looks not only at what is being reported but its underlying structure:

THE “STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION”

“The pictures of Bin Laden as “boy” in extended family are interesting because they appeared “instantly” in most of the Euro papers - according to my academic colleagues in France, Spain, Italy and Germany. In fact it’s interesting to me as a non media expert, non journalist person how uniform is the pattern of coverage in the EU member states - lots of serious, balanced pieces, lots of pieces by “liberals” rushing for the moral high ground (I’m cynical), some good straight information - you know excellent maps, the number of languages spoken in Afghanistan, exactly how anthrax will kill you and of course, lots of garbage and mis/dis/information. I have to tell you that I prefer the radio and I think some of the coverage has been excellent - BBC Radio 4 and 5 and World Service. TV coverage for me after the compelling initial impact of the images is hopeless. The structure of presentation and time constraints mean nothing can be analysed effectively and reflected on. And usually it’s the same “talking heads”. There is also the issue of the validity of the images - there is clearly a lot of “library archive” material being used but in the main this isn’t indicated so the impression given is that what is is being shown is happening now. V.worrying…..(MORE TO COME)….”

“THE WORLD IS NOT A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE”

There is thoughtful media commentary in the Middle East too. Here is an excerpt of a longer introspective and analytical piece, “When Narratives Combine,” from Al-Ahram Weekly Online written by Azmi Bishara, a Palestinian and member of Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset:

“Globalization has come to combine the Hollywood dream industry with angryand desperate reactions against the makers of American nightmares abroad.Why did television audiences around the world watching the appalling eventsin New York and Washington gasp: “I can’t believe it. It’s like a film”? Nota single US film production company has failed to churn out a film on evil”Arab terrorists” whose blend of religious fanaticism and material greedleads them to murder their friends, hijack a plane, plan to destroy New Yorkor bomb a skyscraper. In the Hollywood version, of course, the fiendishconspirators are always thwarted when Schwarzenegger or Rambo leaps from anupper storey onto the wing of the airplane and overpowers them.

“The hijacking of the US airliners was described as an act of cowardice.This, too, is consistent with the made-in-Hollywood US perceptions thatdivide people into valiant heroes and evil cowards. But the world is notmade up of valiant heroes and evil cowards. The good are not all good, northe bad all bad. The world is not a Hollywood movie.”

HOW TO IMPACT ON THE MEDIA DISCOURSE

“The sensitive feminist author and editor Robin Morgan wrote a provocative article about September 11. It is making the rounds on many list servs on the web. She addresses media as a force to be influenced, not just criticized. “I urge all of you to write letters to the editors of newspapers, call in to talk radio shows, and, for those of you who have mediaaccess–as activists, community leaders, elected or appointed officials,academic experts, whatever–to do as many interviews and TV programs as youcan, ” she writes. “Use the tool of the Internet. Talk about the root causes of terrorism,about the need to diminish this daily climate of patriarchal violencesurrounding us in its state-sanctioned normalcy; the need to recognizepeople’s despair over ever being heard short of committing such dramatic,murderous acts; the need to address a desperation that becomes chronicafter generations of suffering; the need to arouse that most subversive ofemotions–empathy–for “the other”; the need to eliminate hideous economicand political injustices, to reject all tribal/ethnic hatreds and fears, torepudiate religious fundamentalisms of every kind. Especially talk aboutthe need to understand that we must expose the mystique of violence,separate it from how we conceive of excitement, eroticism, and “manhood”;the need to comprehend that violence differs in degree but is related inkind, that it thrives along a spectrum, as do its effects–from thebattered child and raped woman who live in fear to an entire populaceliving in fear.”

COMMENT FROM SERBIA: COMPARING PHOTOS OF BURNING TOWERS

http://www.ptb.be/international/WTC/Dijvu.htm

BACK IN THE “HOMELANDS:” MEDIA MANIPULATION?

ITEM ONE: Were the widely reported threats against President Bush’s plane true? Not according to Mike Allen in the Washington Post who followed up, looking for evidence: “The Bush Administration appeared to back away yesterday from its claim that a threat was lodged against Air Force One on the day terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.” New reports have established there is no record of a call of a threat against Air Force One. Is this a case of justifiable paranoia or just puffing up the President’s importance?

ITEM TWO: WHITE HOUSE PRESSURES NBC OVER CLINTON INTERVIEW

Jake Tapper reports in Salon.com: “On the same day last week that “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Brokaw sat down to interview former President Clinton, executives for the program received unexpected phone calls from senior communications staffers at the White House, expressing disappointment about the decision to spotlight Bush’s predecessor. While not asking the network to refrain from running the interview, they expressed the feeling that the Sept. 18 interview with Clinton would not be helpful to the current war on terrorism. Neither NBC nor the White House would comment on the phone calls, but sources familiar with the calls confirmed that they happened.”

THE TRIUMPH OF FEAR OVER FACTS

” A personal media experience from a Californian about TV shows that prefer heat to light. (From the Not my President List Serv.) I will preserve the anonymity of the writer: “Last night I walked in to a (TV)show called a “Town Meeting”, to which a variety of persons had beeninvited. There were Arab-Americans, Israeli-Americans, Black and WhiteAmericans who had lost family members, right-wing police and FBI types,Civil rights and Constitutional attorneys, a psychologist and even anapparent progressive. The producers wanted to emphasize Fear, and everytime someone tried to inject some facts, the host brought the whole showback down to the emotional level…..The most appalling aspect of the show was not even the host’sencouragement of appeals for racial profiling, phone and e-mail tapping,and video surveillance of the population, but rather the absence ofcritical thinking.”

ON THE LATEST CHARGES AGAINST CNN

Yesterday I reported on new accusations against CNN in connection with footage of Palestiniians applauding the New York Terror attacks.. (Scroll down to read.) The item provoked a comment from Greg Palast of the Observer, London: “It’s quite a different thing - improper editing and the original charge - a complete fabrication. The issue is, why does the Left have to deny that some idiot Palestinians were thrilled? Including similar scenes in NEW JERSEY. Arafat was horrified - and that’s not a minor issue. “Palestinians” are like “Americans” - not everyone is thoughtful, evil nor heroic. Media stereotyping - Right and Left - is the wrong committed here.”

FINALLY, LETTERS FROM READERS

Beverly Robson writes from Glasgow Kentucky to thank Media Channel. “” I can only hope that these ideas will spread,particularly in the U.S.A. The more we know about others and what causestheir dissatisfaction the better the chances for a peaceful world.I do need to say as a God-lover (species Christian left) that thisposition fits so well with our belief that we are responsible for doingwhat we can for each and every member of humanity, recognizing theirworth, dignity and value to us all.”

Moucci Tong writes: “In your articles (from the News Dissector and GVNN) about the recent bombings you did not mention anything about “black gold” (oil that is) being a possible motive, nor has there been any direct mention of it in any of the stories (from other related Web sites) that I’ve read so far.” Scroll down, Moucci. I wrote about oil yesterday. (Scroll down on this weblog) Also, see an article called to my attention by the ever vigilant R Brooke of Brooklyn USA. It is from Corp Watch, “It’s the Oil., Stupid.” http://www.corpwatch.org/news/2001/0211.html

Thank you Moucci, and Beverly, and to all readers who write and send it items of interest. Please share your comments and items. Comment by clicking RESPOND or writing Dissector@mediachannel.org