well, if yer not fer us, yer agin us..git in line media..waves flag

April 4, 2003

FAIR-L

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting

Media analysis, critiques and activism

MEDIA ADVISORY:

Some Critical Media Voices Face Censorship

April 3, 2003

Although the invasion of Iraq is being fought under the name "Operation

Iraqi Freedom," it has constricted the range of expression sanctioned by

media outlets within the U.S. Starting before the war began, several

national and local media figures have had their work jeopardized, either

explicitly or implicitly because of the critical views they expressed on

the war.

* MSNBC canceled Phil Donahue's talkshow after an internal memo (leaked to

the All Your TV website, 2/25/03) argued that he would be a "difficult

public face for NBC in a time of war.... He seems to delight in presenting

guests who are anti-war, anti-Bush and skeptical of the administration's

motives." The report warned that the Donahue show could be "a home for

the liberal anti-war agenda at the same time that our competitors are

waving the flag at every opportunity."

An email from a network executive, also leaked to All Your TV (3/5/03),

suggested that it would be "unlikely" that Donahue could be used by MSNBC

to "reinvent itself" and "cross-pollinate our programming" with the

"anticipated larger audience who will tune in during a time of war" by

linking pundits to war coverage, "particularly given his public stance on

the advisability of the war effort."

* Brent Flynn, a reporter for the Lewisville (Texas) Leader, was told he

could no longer write a column for the paper in which he had expressed

anti-war views. "I was told that because I had attended an anti-war

rally, I had violated the newspaper's ethics policy that prohibits members

of the editorial staff from participating in any political activity other

than voting," Flynn wrote in a note on his personal website. "I am

convinced that if my column was supportive of the war and it was a pro-war

rally that I attended, they would not have dared to cancel my column....

The fact that the column was cancelled just days before the start of the

U.S. invasion of Iraq raises serious questions about the motives for the

cancellation." Although Flynn was ostensibly sanctioned for compromising

the paper's "objectivity," he continues to serve as a news reporter for

the paper, while losing the part of his job where he was expected to

express opinions.

* Kurt Hauglie, a reporter and columnist for Michigan's Huron Daily

Tribune, quit the paper after allegedly being told that an anti-war column

he had written would not run because it might upset readers (WJRT-TV,

3/28/03).

* The website YellowTimes.org, which featured original anti-war reporting

and commentary, was shut down by its Web hosting company on March 24,

after it posted images of U.S. POWs and Iraqi civilian victims of the war.

Orlando-based Vortech Hosting told Yellow Times in an e-mail, "Your

account has been suspended because [of] inappropriate graphic material."

Later, the company clarified: "As 'NO' TV station in the U.S. is allowing

any dead U.S. soldiers or POWs to be displayed and we will not either."

As of April 3, the site was still down.

* The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera news network's attempts to set up an

English-language website were foiled by unidentified U.S.-based hackers

who launched a denial-of-service attack. Al-Jazeera is expected to try to

relaunch its site in mid-April. The station's reporters also had their

press credentials revoked by the New York Stock Exchange, and were unable

to obtain alternative credentials at the NASDAQ exchange: "In light of

Al-Jazeera's recent conduct during the war, in which they have broadcast

footage of US POWs in alleged violation of the Geneva Convention, they are

not welcome to broadcast from our facility at this time," a NASDAQ

spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times (3/26/03).

* Veteran war correspondent Peter Arnett was fired by NBC as a result of

an interview that he gave to Iraqi TV in which he said that war planners

had "misjudged the determination of the Iraqi forces" and that there was

"a growing challenge to President Bush about the conduct of the war."

After initially defending Arnett, NBC released a statement saying that "it

was wrong for Mr. Arnett to grant an interview to state-controlled Iraqi

TV-- especially at a time of war-- and it was wrong for him to discuss his

personal observations and opinions in that interview.

April 5, 2003

HI Fraggle

Peter Arnett is now reporting on the war for the Daily Mirror in the UK - the only anti-war paper here.

We had heard that you couldn't get any proper reports on the war in the US. I suppose your media doesn't show the injured Iraqi civilians - the 5 year old girl who had spinal injuries and will spend the rest of her life paralysed, or the one who has lost a leg, the chap without the arm etc. etc. etc. :-( Sky News was pretty good to start with here, up until about three days ago that is. Now it seems to be reporting what the government would want, so we are in the dark too now.

There is nothing much but misinformation and lies around now. Our news this morning said that US troops have taken the centre of Baghdad, and then it says that there is still heavy bombing in the centre of Baghdad, so presumably the US is bombing their own troops. Nothing new there, I suppose.

I tried to get the Al Jazeera site, but there only seems to be the Arabic version, and unfortunately that is no good to me, which is a shameful thing to admit when you see the normal poor civilians of Iraq expressing themselves so well in English.

Jo

-

EBbrewpunx

lettucegrowingtreehuggers ; bevanmetro ; carnahan02 ; snappythealligator ; TFHB ; ; northern_california_punklist ; michele ; jdh54

Saturday, April 05, 2003 3:42 AM

well, if yer not fer us, yer agin us..git in line media..*waves flag*

FAIR-LFairness & Accuracy In ReportingMedia analysis, critiques and activismMEDIA ADVISORY: Some Critical Media Voices Face CensorshipApril 3, 2003Although the invasion of Iraq is being fought under the name "OperationIraqi Freedom," it has constricted the range of expression sanctioned bymedia outlets within the U.S. Starting before the war began, severalnational and local media figures have had their work jeopardized, eitherexplicitly or implicitly because of the critical views they expressed onthe war.* MSNBC canceled Phil Donahue's talkshow after an internal memo (leaked tothe All Your TV website, 2/25/03) argued that he would be a "difficultpublic face for NBC in a time of war.... He seems to delight in presentingguests who are anti-war, anti-Bush and skeptical of the administration'smotives." The report warned that the Donahue show could be "a home forthe liberal anti-war agenda at the same time that our competitors arewaving the flag at every opportunity."An email from a network executive, also leaked to All Your TV (3/5/03),suggested that it would be "unlikely" that Donahue could be used by MSNBCto "reinvent itself" and "cross-pollinate our programming" with the"anticipated larger audience who will tune in during a time of war" bylinking pundits to war coverage, "particularly given his public stance onthe advisability of the war effort."* Brent Flynn, a reporter for the Lewisville (Texas) Leader, was told hecould no longer write a column for the paper in which he had expressedanti-war views. "I was told that because I had attended an anti-warrally, I had violated the newspaper's ethics policy that prohibits membersof the editorial staff from participating in any political activity otherthan voting," Flynn wrote in a note on his personal website. "I amconvinced that if my column was supportive of the war and it was a pro-warrally that I attended, they would not have dared to cancel my column....The fact that the column was cancelled just days before the start of theU.S. invasion of Iraq raises serious questions about the motives for thecancellation." Although Flynn was ostensibly sanctioned for compromisingthe paper's "objectivity," he continues to serve as a news reporter forthe paper, while losing the part of his job where he was expected toexpress opinions.* Kurt Hauglie, a reporter and columnist for Michigan's Huron DailyTribune, quit the paper after allegedly being told that an anti-war columnhe had written would not run because it might upset readers (WJRT-TV,3/28/03).* The website YellowTimes.org, which featured original anti-war reportingand commentary, was shut down by its Web hosting company on March 24,after it posted images of U.S. POWs and Iraqi civilian victims of the war.Orlando-based Vortech Hosting told Yellow Times in an e-mail, "Youraccount has been suspended because [of] inappropriate graphic material." Later, the company clarified: "As 'NO' TV station in the U.S. is allowingany dead U.S. soldiers or POWs to be displayed and we will not either." As of April 3, the site was still down.* The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera news network's attempts to set up anEnglish-language website were foiled by unidentified U.S.-based hackerswho launched a denial-of-service attack. Al-Jazeera is expected to try torelaunch its site in mid-April. The station's reporters also had theirpress credentials revoked by the New York Stock Exchange, and were unableto obtain alternative credentials at the NASDAQ exchange: "In light ofAl-Jazeera's recent conduct during the war, in which they have broadcastfootage of US POWs in alleged violation of the Geneva Convention, they arenot welcome to broadcast from our facility at this time," a NASDAQspokesperson told the Los Angeles Times (3/26/03).* Veteran war correspondent Peter Arnett was fired by NBC as a result ofan interview that he gave to Iraqi TV in which he said that war plannershad "misjudged the determination of the Iraqi forces" and that there was"a growing challenge to President Bush about the conduct of the war." After initially defending Arnett, NBC released a statement saying that "itwas wrong for Mr. Arnett to grant an interview to state-controlled IraqiTV-- especially at a time of war-- and it was wrong for him to discuss hispersonal observations and opinions in that interview.

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