Government Control and the (In-)Dependent Media
Here in the US we can be proud of a long tradition of free media. The media is permitted to write what they like, as long as they adhere to accepted standards, especially in reporting the news unbiased and based on facts. The Media even have the right to criticize the government, and they can also report on issues that the government would rather keep from the American citizens. It's known as 'Freedom of the Press', and it is an ingrained principle of our democracy.
We treat that principle highly and even scold other countries that do not adhere to it. Recently Russia was the country often criticized by our leaders for its increase in government control over the media there. Other countries are criticized regularly as well, Cuba, Venezuela, etc.
However, the principle of free media is also assaulted in another part of the world, and this is not widely reported. I am talking about the United States here, and I am deeply worried about our 'Free Press'. Today I'll write about government influences, a later article will deal with self-censorship.
The (current) administration is surely no media darling. As such, it is subject to a lot of criticism, some of which may be justified, while some may be not. However, when truly critical stories appear the administration tries to influence what is actually reported. Press conferences are held, and the speaker of the White House or the Pentagon deliver their (biased) views, which are uncritically reported in many media outlets. Funny thing is that the information given by the administration is often false and many of those press conferences are pure propaganda. Accountability on the administrations side does not seem to be important, a lot of the original critical stories turn out to be correct after all. But Americans do not seem to care.
One specific and very illuminating case is the recent Newsweek report on the abuse of the Koran in Guantanamo Bay. Here is a timeline: (This is an abbreviated version, only news relevant to the media are covered. A full timeline can he found here (up to the retraction) and here.)
What we have here is a story in which the government tried to force the media to stop reporting unpleasant news. The government showed no respect for the freedom of the press, even worse, it tried to force its own manipulated propaganda story on the media. The entire Newsweek incident shows that the government is trying to control the media, and does not take the freedom of the press very seriously. It also shows that our government does not care much about the truth.
Who lost in this story?
We treat that principle highly and even scold other countries that do not adhere to it. Recently Russia was the country often criticized by our leaders for its increase in government control over the media there. Other countries are criticized regularly as well, Cuba, Venezuela, etc.
However, the principle of free media is also assaulted in another part of the world, and this is not widely reported. I am talking about the United States here, and I am deeply worried about our 'Free Press'. Today I'll write about government influences, a later article will deal with self-censorship.
The (current) administration is surely no media darling. As such, it is subject to a lot of criticism, some of which may be justified, while some may be not. However, when truly critical stories appear the administration tries to influence what is actually reported. Press conferences are held, and the speaker of the White House or the Pentagon deliver their (biased) views, which are uncritically reported in many media outlets. Funny thing is that the information given by the administration is often false and many of those press conferences are pure propaganda. Accountability on the administrations side does not seem to be important, a lot of the original critical stories turn out to be correct after all. But Americans do not seem to care.
One specific and very illuminating case is the recent Newsweek report on the abuse of the Koran in Guantanamo Bay. Here is a timeline: (This is an abbreviated version, only news relevant to the media are covered. A full timeline can he found here (up to the retraction) and here.)
- May 2 : Newsweek reports the military is investigating the abuse of the Koran in Guantanamo
- The days following the report: No public reaction, and no challenge to the story
- May 11: Anti-American Protests in Afghanistan and Pakistan
- May 12: Condolezza Rice states that the Koran is treated with respect in the US. The military reports that no evidence of abuse has been found.
- May 12-15: mounting pressure on Newsweek (news stories, TV coverage etc.)
- May 15: Newsweek apologizes
- May 16: Newsweek retracts story
- May 16-22: Retraction is widely reported in around the world. Asian/Moslem News outlets claim that the retraction is a political maneuver and is not based on facts
- May 22: The Los Angeles Times reports about the abuse of the Koran in Guantanamo
- May 25: The ACLU releases details about the abuse, taken from government documents
- May 26: The Pentagon is forced to confirm that the Koran was abused in Guantanamo
What we have here is a story in which the government tried to force the media to stop reporting unpleasant news. The government showed no respect for the freedom of the press, even worse, it tried to force its own manipulated propaganda story on the media. The entire Newsweek incident shows that the government is trying to control the media, and does not take the freedom of the press very seriously. It also shows that our government does not care much about the truth.
Who lost in this story?
- Several people lost their lives.
- The administration lost its credibility when dealing with the media.
- Newsweek lost its credibility for accurate reporting, not for the story itself, but rather for backing down under government pressure and retracting the story
- The US lost further credibility in the world and will encounter more and more resistance to its claims (Iranian Nukes, Russian Free Media...)
- The American media, as it shows that they are susceptible to governmental pressure and deception.
posted by PW at 2:12 PM
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