Wednesday, June 27, 2007

June 26 Media Critique: "Attorney: NY Times and Washington Post Legally Complicit in Terror"

Sure it is.

The thrust of this utterly stupid 'Media Critique' from HR is that news organizations, by reporting the views of groups like Hamas, might be ”guilty of providing material support for a terrorist organization”. Both the NYT and the Washington Post published an article by an advisor to the Palestinian PM, Ishmail Haniyeh. This is it.

Publishing the words of a Hamas spokesman is supporting terrorism? Of course HR don’t really believe this. They are perfectly happy for the media to report what Hamas says, as long as it fits in with HRs views. Immoderate statements are fine, in fact HR wants them highlighted. In previous 'media critiques' HR has happily linked to articles quoting Hamas claiming responsibility for attacks on Israelis, and with the ‘Hamas Mickey Mouse’ story, HR couldn’t quote them enough. So, what’s the problem with Ahmed Yousefs’ op-ed? I assume it’s statements like this,

It has consistently offered a 10-year cease-fire with the Israelis to try to create an atmosphere of calm in which we resolve our differences.

Now that just won’t do. HR are committed to their version of Hamas - a blood-thirsty extremist group with only one aim, the killing of Jews. Letting them speak for themselves is an unhelpful complication in the campaign to vilify.

Clearly HR would prefer news organizations to censor themselves, never allowing opinions expressed that some people may find objectionable. If that was the citieria by which news was compiled, there’d be a whole lot less news.

Last year the South African Mail&Guardian newspaper called HonestReporting “enemies of……free expression”.

Ain't that the truth!