Media: ‘Objective’ journalism masks the ugliness of Bush’s torture policies
Consider the following paragraphs from an Associated Press article:
President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to prohibit the use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques by ordering the CIA to follow military rules for questioning prisoners, according to two U.S. officials familiar with drafts of the plans. Still under debate is whether to allow exceptions in extraordinary cases.
The proposal Obama is considering would require all CIA interrogators to follow conduct outlined in the U.S. Army Field Manual, the officials said. The plans would also have the effect of shutting down secret “black site” prisons around the world where the CIA has questioned terror suspects — with all future interrogations taking place inside American military facilities.
The headline above this article: Sources: “Obama ready to ban harsh interrogations.”
Consider the words: “harsh interrogation.” This includes the practice of waterboarding. This includes the practice of shipping prisoners off to other countries, where they get the crap beaten out of them until they say something the interrogator wants to hear. According to the article, this has included: “sleep deprivation and disorientation, stress positions and exposing prisoners to uncomfortable cold or heat for long periods. It’s also believed that some prisoners have been forced to sit in cramped spaces with bugs, snakes, rats or other vermin as a scare tactic.”
Out here in the real world, we call that torture.
But the AP can’t call it that. That word is too judgmental for them. And the AP has to sell its services to news organizations headed, in some cases, by people who have decided that George Bush is a great guy.
And that is the reason for the mainstream media practices “objective” journalism, to make it easier for news organization to sell their products to as many consumers as possible, regardless of ideology. The effect on Democracy is not relevant to this business equation. So we have voters making decisions after being fed story upon story that describe obvious, blatant lies as just another valid point of view.
One of those lies is that torture is “harsh interrogation.”
Feh.
The headline would have been more accurate is it said “Obama ready to ban evil.” Because torture is evil. We can’t protect America by using torture because America stops being America when we embrace that practice. And on the day America as a whole becomes a place where this is accepted, wel that’s the day America might as well go away forever.
But by all means, let’s not be so unobjective as to refer to waterboarding and sleep deprivation as torture.
Tags: obama, torture, waterboarding
You’re right. Bush got a pass from the media during most of his administration. Hell, if the Iraq invasion had gone like the Neocons thought it would and Iraq was like Connecticut today, he’d probably still be getting a pass. Let’s hope someone is prosecuted:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/17/us/politics/17detain.html?hp
The Bush administration held the idea that the executive branch of government could provide legal cover to anyone for acts of barbarism committed in its name. That argument didn’t work for Herman Goering, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Joachim von Ribbentrop or Adolf Eichmann.
Normally, I’d call Godwin on that comment, but I think the comparison is apt in terms of the attempt to justify behavior that is so obviously wrong. It needs to be said that Bush isn’t Hitler.
No, Bush is not Hitler. But the parallel is a valid one. I’m glad you are insightful enough not to use Godwin’s Law as a weapon of mass repression.
As Hannah Arendt pointed out, the crimes of the Third Reich were carried out by ordinary men following orders, as ordinary men usually do.
I have linked on this blog before an article about successful money making german newsprint. One of the features of their success is that they don’t ‘buy’ and ’sell’ news for reprinting… like the AP does. When you buy and sell news you have to appeal to the lowest common denominator in order to sell more reprints. Somewhere along the way the truth gets distorted or white washed. The PJS is loaded with reprints. Is it any surprise that papers are losing money? Is it a surprise that ‘bloggers’ are taking up the mantle of original reporting without the burden of trying to ‘resell’ their articles. Maybe its this aspect of the business that needs to be changed.
[...] local opinion Peoria Pundit has an interesting take on how media phrases things: Consider the following paragraphs from an Associated Press [...]
For my comment I submit Season 7 Episode 1 where Agent Jack Bauer testifying before a Senate Hearing on “torture”
http://www.hulu.com/watch/51883/24-800-am—900-am
I always thought you lived in your own little different world Chase. I just didn’t realize it was the one the writers of 24 have created.
Bill: Good call on this one. Torture is torture. It’s immoral and more practically it doesn’t work. It’s sad that we’ve got a debate about doing things that are illegal in war, and we are not even legally at war.
Also love this mistake/freudian slip “And the AP has to sell its services to news organizations headed, in some cases, buy people who have decided that George Bush is a great guy.” Yeah, you’d pretty much have to be bought and paid for to still think that.