A News Revolution Has Begun (mainstream journalism voice of rampant power)

[Hissyspit]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112505I.shtml

A News Revolution Has Begun
By John Pilger
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Friday 25 November 2005

The Indian writer Vandana Shiva has called for an "insurrection of subjugated knowledge." The insurrection is well under way. In trying to make sense of a dangerous world, millions of people are turning away from the traditional sources of news and information and toward the world wide web, convinced that mainstream journalism is the voice of rampant power. The great scandal of Iraq has accelerated this. In the United States, several senior broadcasters have confessed that had they challenged and exposed the lies told about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, instead of amplifying and justifying them, the invasion might not have happened.

Such honesty has yet to cross the Atlantic. Since it was founded in 1922, the BBC has served to protect every British establishment during war and civil unrest. "We" never traduce and never commit great crimes. So the omission of shocking events in Iraq - the destruction of cities, the slaughter of innocent people and the farce of a puppet government - is routinely applied. A study by the Cardiff School of Journalism found that 90 per cent of the BBC's references to Saddam Hussein's WMDs suggested he possessed them and that "spin from the British and US governments was successful in framing the coverage." The same "spin" has ensured, until now, that the use of banned weapons by the Americans and British in Iraq has been suppressed as news.

An admission by the US State Department on 10 November that its forces had used white phosphorus in Fallujah followed "rumours on the internet," according to the BBC's Newsnight. There were no rumours. There was first-class investigative work that ought to shame well-paid journalists. Mark Kraft of insomnia.livejournal.com found the evidence in the March-April 2005 issue of Field Artillery magazine and other sources. He was supported by the work of film-maker Gabriele Zamparini, founder of the excellent site, thecatsdream.com.

Last May, David Edwards and David Cromwell of medialens.org posted a revealing correspondence with Helen Boaden, the BBC's director of news. They had asked her why the BBC had remained silent on known atrocities committed by the Americans in Fallujah. She replied, "Our correspondent in Fallujah at the time , Paul Wood, did not report any of these things because he did not see any of these things." It is a statement to savour. Wood was "embedded" with the Americans. He interviewed none of the victims of American atrocities nor un-embedded journalists. He not only missed the Americans' use of white phosphorus, which they now admit, he reported nothing of the use of another banned weapon, napalm. Thus, BBC viewers were unaware of the fine words of Colonel James Alles, commander of the US Marine Air Group II. "We napalmed both those bridge approaches," he said. "Unfortunately, there were people there ... you could see them in the cockpit video ... It's no great way to die. The generals love napalm. It has a big psychological effect."


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Tell Me No Lies: Investigative Journalism and Its Triumphs, edited by John Pilger, is published by Vintage.
This article originally appeared in the Daily Standard.

[Gyre]

1. Tony Blair trimmed BBC's "horns"

when he had British "intelligence" suicide Dr. David Kelly before he gave testimony and then claimed that BBC misled the British people on WMD claims and aided their enemies. Since then, BBC hasn't been worth a shit except for soccer scores. Worked so well that Rove emulated Tony when he set up Dan Rather and CBS.

Gyre

[lyonn]

2. There are other news orgs besides the BBC in England

They started telling the truth before the U.S. started to meekly question this administration. In the U.S. we have way too few press people that will question. The NY Times tells the story after the fact. Washington Post, well hell, they have Woodward.

[emald]

3. I certainly hope this will prevail in America

It has been to long with gov controlled media. I believe the internet is a stabalizing force allowing one relatively easy access to raw data from which can be brought judgement to bear. Here's to a free internet.

[Hissyspit]

4. kick