The Discerning Texan

A major segment of the global media is behaving in a manner that makes terrorism and mass killings more likely rather than less likely. They enable and encourage terrorist slaughter of innocents by supplying providing a propaganda bonanza for the terrorist cause. Without the gain, there would be less incentive for the horrific behavior.

This is true now with Israeli defense measures against Hezbolla terrorism, and has been true for many years, especially during the long Arab-Israeli conflict. Not enough attention has been paid to media manipulation. It is long overdue that this be exposed and the media be confronted and held accountable.

The general public derives its perception of the wider reality beyond direct personal experience via the media. When the major media all sing a similar tune the public generally assumes it is being honestly informed. The internet and talk radio often challenge the major media, but not everyone has the time or interest to become well-informed on the many issues and sort things out, especially when the alternative media also present conflicting views of reality.

The major media can spin and color stories to suit their agenda. They can rile up the public over certain issues or hide vital information. When the media riles up the public, governments can feel pressured to act in one direction or the other. All this conflicts with honest reporting.

A prime example involves a front page photo in the New York Times. An angry Israeli policeman is seen brandishing his police club while standing over a bloodied man on the ground. The Times caption reads:

“An Israeli policeman and a Palestinian on the Temple Mount”.

The photo suggests a Palestinian so badly beaten that blood was running down his face. Publishing such an inflammatory photo had to generate extreme outrage against Israel, and the Times had to know it.

But the caption was effectively a lie.

The victim was a Jew beaten by Arabs. The Israeli policeman was defending the victim. When the Times was forced to retract they did it grudgingly and then added another lie to the story until public outrage forced them to come clean with the real story. The action of the Times (“All the news that’s fit to print”) was so outrageous that a media watchdog organization was born in response.

Read the rest here.