[Ssf] Fallujah: murder televised on TV

Fri Nov 12 13:45:43 GMT 2004

I think one important problem for media trying to report the news
objectively in a democracy of the British type, is that objective
reporting is often taken to mean that they draw conclusions somewhere
around the middle of popular opinion. The highyl non-objective
reporting in the other papers and news services makes it far harder
for the BBC to look objective. If they were to take the line which we
would like to hear there would be no end to the complaints from the
right wing media and people who think they know what's what, never
mind government, and it would be impossible to maintain a reporting
line of that sort for any significant period.

Not to mention that when government get pissed off with the beeb for
undermining them they immediately start talking about radical
restructuring or privatisation. I think that in the circumstances the
BBC to pretty well. Its unfair to expect them to refuse for instance
to recognise allawi as Prime Minister; although the legality of the
appointment, never mind its more general legitimacy, is questionable,
the BBC as British media are to a great extent bound to follow the
Foreign Office's line in terms of recognizing foreign governments. Not
to say the beeb are perfect, but they could be a lot worse.

Chris

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 13:08:45 +0000, spodulike at freeuk.com
<spodulike at freeuk.com> wrote:
> I think one of the problems is the pressure the BBC get put under.
> There was an interesting discussion on Radio 5 where they pointed out
> that while some people don't like the term 'insurgents' they are
> continually fed the li(n)e 'terrorists' by government and military. I
> think at the moment the state is winning the media war. Props to http://
> www.medialens.org/ for helping people tug the media around.
> 
> Mainstream media will always be in a difficult position in that when
> finding an 'objective middle way' it ignores that truth is truth and
> murder is murder, there's no middle way on that.
> 
> Jason
> 
> 
> 
> > I also heard two US helicopters got taken out today!
> >
> > As for Dave's comment I can't say I'm exactly surprised. The BBC are
> > constantly lying in attempts to justify the war.
> >
> > Here's an interesting example from an Indymedia article
> >
> >
> > BBC is Legitimising Mass Slaughter of Fallujah:
> >
> > http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/11/300829.html
> >
> > The BBC's lunchtime news anchor, Anna Ford, opened today's news with
> > this solemn announcement:
> >
> > "Iraq's prime minister, Iyad Allawi, has said he has given American
> > and Iraqi forces the authority to clear Fallujah of terrorists."
> > (Ford, BBC 1, 13:00 News, November 8, 2004)
> >
> > Almost everything in this statement is false: Allawi is not the
> > legitimate prime minister of Iraq, he is an American-installed stooge.
> 
> > Allawi did not give authority to US forces to attack Fallujah - +they+
> 
> > are the authority in Iraq, Allawi is their mouthpiece. The US goal is
> 
> > not to "clear Fallujah of terrorists"; it is to crush Iraqi
> resistance
> > to US control of their country.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > SUGGEST ACTION...
> >
> > http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/11/300930.html
> >
> > The fact that such a senior figure at the BBC should reply at
> > length shows just how defensive broadcast journalists are when
> accused
> > of presenting the establishment view of current events. They really
> do
> > feel they are "good people" providing "impartial" reports (see below).
> 
> > This pressure on the media is very important. I would urge people to
> > visit the MediaLens website regularly and when you see a news
> bulletin
> > or current affairs programme which particularly infuriates you (where
> 
> > to start?), write to the jounalists and editors involved (MediaLens
> > provides email addresses). You will be surprised how often you get a
> > reply (but not by how often you do not!). Send copies of all your
> > emails and any replies you receive to MediaLens:  editor at medialens.
> org.=20
> >
> > steve
> >
> >
> >
> > Dan> Have you seen what else is going on around Iraq? -
> >
> > Dan> US-led troops find three Iraqi contractors and an Iraqi taxi-
> driver =
> > in
> > Dan> Falluja believed to be held as hostages
> >
> > Dan> At least 17 people are killed in a car bomb in a busy Baghdad 
> shoppi=
> > ng area
> >
> > Dan> Masked insurgents in northern Mosul attack several police 
> stations a=
> 
> 
> > nd
> > Dan> loot weapons and ammunition, before setting at least two of them
> on
> > Dan> fire. The attacks prompt US strikes against suspected rebel
> targets
> >
> > Dan> Kirkuk Governor Abdulrahman Mustafa escapes an assassination
> attempt=
> >  in
> > Dan> the northern city, but several people are injured in the bomb
> attack=
> >  on
> > Dan> his convoy.
> >
> > Dan> Can we call it a 'descent into chaos' yet? Nah! As Laura Bush
> says, =
> > "I
> > Dan> truly believe that Iraq is becoming a democracy." Hey, perhaps
> if we=
> >  all
> > Dan> believe enough! And anyone that doesn't believe, well... we can
> just
> > Dan> shoot the fuckers!
> >
> > Dan> Dan
> >
> >
> >
> > Dan> dave thompson wrote:
> >
> > >> Hello,
> > >> I have just witnessed a murder on tv and on Sky news
> > >> at least, the journalist condoning the murder..
> > >>
> > >> dt
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> During the battle for Fallujah, they showed a marine
> > >> saying, =93I=92ve just injured one, he=92s between the two
> > >> buildings=94. At that moment another marine walks over
> 
> 
> > >> to the gap between the two houses, he then climbs on a
> > >> forty four gallon drum aims his gun at the injured
> > >> Iraqi and fires one shot.
> > >>
> > >> The Sky reporter: the veteran David Chater, whose
> > >> report incidentially did not include the caveat, that
> > >> it was 'compiled under U.S military restrictions' just
> > >> says something like: 'they cannot risk suicide bombers
> > >> blowing themselves up'
> > >>
> > >> I am writing to them for the transcript unless someone
> > >> on here knows exactly what he said.
> > >>
> > >> So there we have it, a major crime, a wounded man
> > >> executed and then endorsed by a British TV journalist
> 
> 
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> And they call it a war for civilisation...
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> __________________________________
> > >> Do you Yahoo!?
> > >> Check out the new Yahoo! Front Page.
> > >> www.yahoo.com
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
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