26
Mar
Red Alert: The Fog Of News
NO RIGHT TO REPORT WARS
WHEN IS A UN VETO JUSTIFIED?
HISTORY AS PROPHECY
The right of American citizens to know what their government is doing in their name was dealt a serious blow by a US court of appeals. As someone who writes extensively about the media and the military, and zealously reads everything I can on the subject, I was startled to come across a story that I plumb must have missed. Did you?
The headline: “Court says reporters have no right to cover troops”
The AP moved it early in February. I think it is important enough to lead the blog with this morning.
NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS
“WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court ruled that the Pentagon has noconstitutional obligation to provide the media access to U.S. troops duringcombat.
“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit made theruling in a case involving Larry Flynt, the self-described smut peddler whopublishes Hustler magazine. Although no other media organizations joined hiscase, the ruling was seen as a disappointment for journalists.
`I hope the ruling isn’t used as an excuse to keep the news media away fromthe military,’ said Stuart Wilk, managing editor of The Dallas Morning Newsand president of the Associated Press Managing Editors. `The media, afterall, is merely representing the public and transmitting information that webelieve is in the public interest.’”
STILL FOGGY
Ah, there it is again, that idea of the “public interest.” Years ago, a Reagan era FCC Commissioner defined that as what the public is interested in, or what people want, not what broadcasters are obligated to provide. The “public interest” was not a factor in the coverage of the war in Iraq. There, we had coverage–but what kind of coverage was it? ” Yesterday I was honored to be included in a report in the Toronto Star by the best TV writer in the business, Ms. Antonia Zerbisias. Just get a taste of the writing and perspective and see what we are missing South of the border.
“Fog of war still hasn’t lifted.”
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.” Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow”The truth is, in a manner of speaking, U.S. President George W. Bush gassed his own people.
He, and his administration, did it with hot air about how Iraq posed `a threat of unique urgency’ and how Saddam Hussein had `reconstituted nuclear weapons.’
One year after the bombing of Baghdad, we know that the White House and the Pentagon prevaricated their way into Iraq. This while the media waved them on in a flag-flying frenzy that CBS’s Dan Rather called `patriotism run amok.’
`What we are talking about here - whether one wants to recognize it or not, or call it by its proper name or not - is a form of self-censorship,’ he told the BBC in 2002. `I worry that patriotism run amok will trample the very values that the country seeks to defend.’
And it did, at least according to University of Toronto history professor Paul Rutherford.
`For a brief time the United States ceased to be a democracy and became a propaganda state,’ he says. `Effectively, democracy was overwhelmed by managed discourse, by managed speech.`”
…. READ IT ALL HERE….
Now she “wants to appear now before the 911 Commission — but in private. TransAfrica founder Randall Robinson told Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman what Condi has been up to:
“I have learned from a White House source that Condoleezza Rice has pointedly threatened the Jamaican Government, telling it to expel President Aristide or face the consequences. The administration wants President Aristide out of the region. As this is a clear measure of how much broad support the president still enjoys as the democratically elected leader of Haiti inside the country, because the U.S. apparently views his mere presence in Jamaica as a threat to their control along with the thugs and the installed government in Haiti. Jamaica has not buckled. They did have discussions with the Nigerians who were pressured to grant this temporary asylum to President Aristide. President Aristide does not want to go Nigeria, and has made that plain enough and that is off. He remains, and will for the indefinite future be in Jamaica–in spite of these clear threats from Condoleezza Rice made to the government of Jamaica.”
HISTORY AS PROPHECY
Even as I thought about how Haiti has dropped out of the news, I was sent a statement written by one of America’s greatest newpapermen, Frederick Douglass, who published The Liberator to promote the abolition of slavery more than a century ago. In 1893, in the sunset of his life, Douglass shared some thoughts about Haiti, the first free black Republic in the world.
“To their shame be it spoken, men in high American quarters have boasted to me of their ability to start a revolution at Haiti at pleasure. They have only to raise sufficient money, they say, with which to arm and otherwise equip the malcontents, of either faction, to effect their object. Men who have munitions of warto sell have an interest instirring up strife in Haiti. It gives them a market. Others who have moneyto lend at high rates of interest are glad to conspire with revolutionary chiefs of either faction, to enable them to start a bloody insurrection. To them, the welfare of Haiti is nothing, the shedding of human blood is nothing, and the ruin of a neighboring country is nothing. They aresharks greedy for money, no matter at what cost of life and misery.”
Frederick Douglass was speaking at the dedication of the Haitian Pavilion at the Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 2 January 1893.
WHAT’S THE REAL STORY?
We all saw the horrific images on television of a young (and apparently mentally- challenged) Palestinian boy with a bomb strapped to his back. It was dramatic — enough that it led to a new wave of denunciations of terrorism. It also led to many Palestinians denouncing militant groups for misusing their children.
Well, here’s Al-Jazeera on the same story: “Israel ‘fabricated’ child-bomber story”:
“Palestinian leaders have accused Israel of fabricating a story about a14-year-old Palestinian boy who planned to blow himself up.”
OTHER MIDDLE EAST COVERAGE
While I heard several TV reports this morning on whether or not Al Jazeera’s report of a new communique, ostensibly by Al Qaeda calling for the overthrow of Pakistan’s government was legit or not, I didn’t see this other Al Jazeera front page story covered at all. That was interesting in light of all the indignation by the US when other nations threatened to veto a US backed resolution for war in Iraq. Remember how a UN veto was denounced as an affront to the world? Yesterday, AJ reported:
“The United States has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution seeking to condemn Israel’s assassination of Hamas spiritual leader, Shaikh Ahmad Yasin. Three days of negotiations failed to find a compromise on the council, where the United States has regularly used its veto power as a permanent member to block measures condemning Israel.”
ATFP digests Middle East coverage. Here’s a sampling of the diverse coverage that most Americans miss: “A Washington Post opinion by Jim Hoagland takes issue with Sharon’s short-horizon policies. In Counterpunch, Steve Niva presents the case that Israel’s assassination policy over the years has primarily resulted in more Israeli deaths. In a Guardian (UK) commentary, Seumas Milne sees the Yassin assassination as part of Israeli PM Sharon’s strategy to undermine a two-state solution. The Financial Times (UK) examines the effect of the Lebanon withdrawal on Israel’s Gaza withdrawal plans. A Gulf News (UAE) opinion by George Hishmeh examines how the Yassin assassination may have negative consequences for the U.S. The Daily Star (Lebanon) profiles a documentary that is an Israeli-Palestinian collaboration. In Haaretz (Israel) Meron Benvenisti comments on the wasted and tragic death of George Khoury, a Palestinian shot by Palestinian militants mistaking him for an Israeli settler.”
NADER SURGING?
A night after President Bush’s “FUN” raising evening with reporters, the Democrats had their unity-fundraising dinner last night in Washington. Meanwhile, Jonathan Darman was reporting on Newsweek’s website:
“Ralph Nader may have been abandoned by some of his celebritybackers, railed against in Democratic Party circles andskewered on late night TV, but the consumer advocate stillpacks a powerful punch with young voters. According to thelatest NEWSWEEK and Newsweek.com Genext poll, the feistyNader, widely blamed for Al Gore’s defeat in the 2000election, drew twice the support among voters aged 18-29 ashe did in a comparable poll of all registered voters. Thegroundswell of youth support could mean good news for Nader,and perhaps more significantly, for President George W. Bush.”
WILL FOX SUE ITSELF?
Cartoonist/animator [Matt]Groening, the creator of the TV show “The Simpsons,” told National Public Radio that, he was threatened with legal action by Fox News Channel after an episode aired that included material parodying FOX News.
“The episode featured a `FOX News crawl’ at the bottom of the screen. It read: `Pointless news crawls up 37 per cent … Do Democrats cause cancer? Find out at foxnews.com … Rupert Murdoch: Terrific dancer … Dow down 5000 points … Study: 92 per cent of Democrats are gay … JFK posthumously joins Republican Party … Oil slicks found to keep seals young, supple .?’
`We did the crawl along the bottom of the screen,’ he said. `And Fox said they would sue the show. We called their bluff because we didn’t think Rupert Murdoch would pay for Fox to sue itself. We got away with it.
But now Fox has a new rule that we can’t do those little fake news crawls on the bottom of the screen in a cartoon because it might confuse the viewers into thinking it’s real news.”
HOWELL HOWLS
From the Media Guardian: “Former New York Times editor Howell Raines has described the paper’sculture as being characterized by conflict, `lethargy and smugcomplacency.’”
YOUR LETTERS: ME AND HOWARD STERN
Howard Stern read part of my Newsday article (referencced in yesterday’s blog ) on the radio yesterday. I received a number of calls and letters. I was told he may have read it wrong thinking that I was criticizing him for speaking out when, in fact, I was supporting him. I have offered to come on the show and bow down to the King of All Media if he continues his on air crusade for free speech. No response. Here’s one note from the fab Brooklyn based poet Michelle Madigan Somerville”:
“I haven’t been able to peruse all of your epic blog site today, yet, due toa class trip and orange alert laundry situation but I am sure some dopeywhite man who likes Lesbians with fake mammary glands has informed alreadythat Howard Stern was talking about you this am. I (really!) don’t usuallylisten to him but Curtis and Kuby are on vacation this week and I can’t dosensitive radio while I’m trying to jog. Anyway on the off chance you don’t know?.”
Rev. George Carleton writes from Derry N.H: “I’ve listened to you since WBCN days, and you were (mostly) always the voice of reason. And you still are. Thanks for the Stern piece?.”
Another said: “MANY Kudos for your articles and getting it read on Stern’s show this morning..”.
ON THE 9/11 PROBE
Chuck O Brian lives now in New York City:
“What continues to sadden me is [that] all the talk at the 9/11 hearings, in theadministration, in the press, and in the election debate centers aroundprotecting ourselves against terrorism; while no effort is made to examinehow we might change the way we behave in the world and thus stop aggravatingsuch a murderous, responsive rage.
Rightly or wrongly, terrorism is provoked, and it seems obstinate to onlydiscuss how terrorism can be defeated while refusing to question the wisdomof continuing to incite such hatred.
While marching in the peace protest Saturday I observed a shirt with themessage, “Never Surrender.” Such pride precedes the fall, no matter thecause. I suspect that insisting on righteousness is an eternal battle, and peace isquietly found in surrender.”
NEW BOMBSHELLS?
Damon Yo writes:
“I’ve read a couple of compelling stories about former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds and former DIAanalyst Julie Sirrs. Both point to intelligence and confounding policy that was in place beforeSept. 11. Both were fired from their positions.
Heres’s an overview I submitted to Indymedia.
A lengthier compilation of information and links is here.”
I read the stories that these posts comprise early this morning, and I was convinced that “This is it. This is the equivalent of John Dean.” Of course, what gives me pause in regard to thatsentiment is the fact that these stories have been floating around for weeks, if not months.”
INSPIRED TO WRITE BY MY DAD’S NOTE
Margot Sun writes from Odessa, TX:
“Danny, thanks again for your insightful and unagented commentary. Referring to your dad’s rather heartwarming remarks, I think many if not most of usare naive. It goes way back, perhaps forever. But I remember celebrating the end of W.W.II in the Pacific and only years later learning how the `surrender’ was facilitated. And only years after that still wondering why. 9/11 was a horror but not on the scale of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Not on the scale of Stalingrad or the Nazi concentration camps, not on the scale of slavery and human degradation in which everyone in the world has an ancestor who was on either the receiving or the delivering end.
We in America are too comfortable. We have our problems but we don’t want to see them. And unless personally affected, we really don’t seem to care all that much about the rest of the world. We yammer endlessly about jobs but not about the quality of work or the result. And most of us would rather give money than effort. And yes, we are lazy, sports-mad, gas-guzzling slobs who have mostly been parented by the advertising media. It all seems the ultimate in cynicism to me — and very easy to manipulate. Viz… Is it that we do not place any real value on ourselves and thus upon others??.
And yet, thank you for making me think.”
ON PAKISTAN
Dom X Mohammed:
“Pakistan is one of the most repressive of the US-backed repressive regimes on earth.? Sometimes I think about Benizir Bhutto because Pakistan is always in the news anymore, and I’ll never forget the writing career and talent Salman Rushdie threw away with exercising chickenshittedness in the name of free speech - by contrast to the genius of his Shame novel - about Pakistan and the Bhutto family… Speaking of the `globalization of barbarism,’ see this piece: In America: The Enemies Within,”
UM STUDENT WANTS TO HELP
Bethany Suhreptz writes from Minneapolis:
“Hi Danny, I’ve wanted to write for some time to say how much I enjoy your blog. I saw you when you visited my campus, the University of Minnesota, a few months ago. I was really impressed with your presentation, and I’ve been a subscriber to your blog since then. (I won’t go into how pointless I think the journalism education at the U can be right now–I’m a proud philosophy major anyway–but it was really refreshing to hear someone with a more inquisitive point of view.) You have really helped me discover a lot about the problems of our media, thanks for opening my eyes and saving me from the big brainwash!
Anyway, what I was really wondering is this. I am currently the student representative for The Nation on the U of M campus, which is an unpaid, purely informative post. I was wondering if there is any way I can help promote you, mediachannel and any other of your causes as well. Do you have any sort of information handout that you offer that I could distribute? Otherwise, I fully intend to simply tell people about the good that mediachannel does. I figure I might as well push as much left-leaning information as possible! Let me know if you have any sort of promotional network for students or anything I can do to help get the word out! Thanks for your great efforts and expertise, I don’t know how you manage to read so much in a day! Keep the information coming!”
Harriet Harper is in Duham North Carolina:
Count me in among those who have written in gratitude for what you do. Over this past year,there have been times when I have shouted unladylike expletives at whichever news channel I was watching, and simply left the room in disgust.
And, after watching ten minutes of the latest circus regarding 9/11, I watched no more. So, it is with profound relief when I visit your website.”
Harriet: it is not mine–we have a great team working to bring Mediachannel to you and need all the help we can get — DS.
Judith Stevens Lake Zurich, IL has a belated march report:
“10,000 protesters were in the Chicago streets on March 20th yet no local media covered it very well. It reported that much less were there than before the invasion of Iraq…1,000 only. What a big lie.
What about the protests on March 20th? The mainstream media plus the on-line news ignored it. Where is the mention of it on your site?
To silence the people is like taking away their freedom of speech. Seems even Democratic and other political actions site have done so also. Seems the owners of all media have a political interest in keeping it quite. Forget what the people want.”
Gary L. Gehman has the last word of the week:
A friend of mine has suggested something facetiously that actuallymakes good sense. Why not prepare a PBS documentary proposal that exactly matches whatthe pentagon wants to see? Get the money. Make the movie, but -whoa, what’s this? Objective facts are found to point to alternativeconclusions! Well, I’ll be … Didn’t expect that!”
Even if they pull the plug on you, you’re taking dollars away fromother pandering propagandists.”
LIVING FOR THE WEEKEND
Yesterday I stole the word SECUROCRAT from Danny Cassidy out in San Francisco. He them wrote to tell me it was first coined by former IRA senior commander and member of British Parliament Martin McGuinness… Say goodbye to the week. This lion of a month is going out like a lamb. Have a great weekend. See you Monday. Have fun. And do the right thing. Write: dissector@mediachannel.org
