U.S. Shuts News Site Amidst Increased War Censorship

by hunter Wed Mar 26, 2003 01:07

their washington reporter is saying that Al Jazeera journalists have been banned (or 'had their credentials revoked') from entering the NY stock exchange, appearently in retaliation for Al Jazeeras 'breach of the geneeva convention' - ie cos they have the balls to show what us networks don't and they aren't playing bush n blairs little media game.

by = Wed Mar 26, 2003 12:33

Don't know about the states, but over here in London, we're getting a really broad range of media and opinion.
Walking into a shop or cafe, I'm as likely to see Egyptian or Iran TV on a sat-feed as I am Sky News. Also most of the people I work with (Aisan, mostly pakistani/bengali/ - all muslim) are against the war but full of praise for the media reporting it.

Also with a family in London seeing their son on fire on ITN over here, I think shutting down on images of POW's and dead soldiers could -possibly- be seen as an ethical arguement?

Though I'd be inclined to agree that US coverage of Iraqi soliders should come under the same critique. UK media, from what I've seen, has so far kept all shot at a long distance.

by hunter Wed Mar 26, 2003 20:18

is the criminal invasion of iraq, bombing of civillians and propagation of outright lies to journalists 'ethical'?

Also, Al Jaz is NOT subject to the geneeva convention beacuse it is a company - NOT A STATE. Therefore, to follow the logic thru, the Iraqis who shot the footage should be indicted under geneeva. but in this case, so should the miliatry officals who sanctioned the shhoting of footage of Iraqi prisoners.

Al Jaz is being undermined by the US propaganda machine.

I take your point about satellite TV in the UK but this is not the issue. the issue is the denial of journalistic credentials to genuine reporters with a longing for truth (unlike the lapdogs in CNN/Fox etc). Al Jaz were so much of a threath in Afghanistan that the US bombed their Kabul HQ.

Then last night, the US bombed the Iraqi media - using i suppose the justification that "they are spreading propaganda". Yet Iraq were to bomb CNN HQ (as if that was possible), this would be a 'clear attack on civillians'. The western media has systematicclay spread lies ('misinformation') in this war, in the afghan war, in the gulf war one, during the coup in venezuela and a little closer to home, during the 'Troubles', inventing justifications for murder such as 'assistant petrol bomber'.

And anyway at least the families of those shown on TV know they are alive, and now Iraq is under a sort of obligation to keep them alive.