More on lethal journalism: Palestinian lies and MSM amplification of those lies
Here’s an excellent article about the rot in journalism exposed by the “reporting” on the Gaza hospital [emphasis mine]:
The media’s disastrous failure on the Gaza hospital bombing story is one of the most vivid and instructive examples of the structural and inherent problems plaguing contemporary journalism. It mirrors many other fiascos of the past decade.
That sentence I highlighted is the most important point: this is not a one-off. This is commonplace, and has been not just for the past decade, but for many decades. It’s not just stories about Israel and Palestine, of course; it also happens with any story the left thinks will hurt the right. I could name many, but one that comes to mind and which is emblematic of the genre was Rathergate. Remember the expression “too good to fact-check?”
More:
It is clear at this point that journalism schools are producing closed-minded, credulous ideologues who will believe anything that comports with their worldview. It’s either that, or we have a bunch of closed-minded ideologues who are willing accomplices in spreading propaganda. Functionally speaking, it doesn’t really matter. In either case, their sympathies lie with Hamas.
You will almost certainly recognize the old “fools or knaves?” question. I say: both.
More:
[The NY Times] has spent decades spreading similar disinformation. The paper’s editorial board and its op-ed pages are teeming with Hamas apologists — as are its news pages.
Even as Hamas’s propaganda was being exposed, the Times moved forward with the story without any genuine substantiation. Since the newspaper had done absolutely no work in verifying these serious claims, it was left without facts or art. So editors simply put a picture of a bombed-out building (not the hospital) on its front page, strongly insinuating that Israel was responsible for the tragedy (that wasn’t.)
How can that be seen as anything but malicious?
I think “malicious” is too mild a word for it.
More:
Of course, any person who’s spent more than ten minutes on the Israeli-Palestinian situation — to say nothing of those who are paid to cover the conflict — knows full well that both Hamas and the PLO are constantly lying about alleged Israeli atrocities and casualties.
That’s where I beg to differ. I think a great many people who have spent at least 15 minutes on the topic – sometimes more – do not know or will not admit that to themselves because they feel such an admission would be racist. Forget that “Palestinians” are not a race. Forget that if people habitually lie it is not bigoted to state that fact.
The Palestinians and the MSM know that a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has time to put its boots on. That’s why lies are so valuable for their cause. The MSM could stop making things worse, but chooses not to do so.
“That’s why lies are so valuable for their cause. The MSM could stop making things worse, but chooses not to do so.”
Um, er, since “their cause” happens to be MORALITY, JUSTICE FOR THE UNDERDOG, SUCCOR FOR THE POOR, ASSISTANCE FOR THE DISPOSSESSED, AID FOR THE DOWNTRODDEN, and the RIGHTING ALL HISTORICAL WRONGS, the MSM actually BELIEVES that it is striving mightily and heroically to make things BETTER.
It is a HOLY BATTLE.
JIHAD.
FOR ANYONE and EVERYONE who believes in fighting evil and righting injustice.
And since THIS is THE ONLY TRUTH, there is no room for any other truth to exist.
And so…the destruction of ISRAEL, you see, is a MORAL IMPERATIVE.
(Or rather, THE moral imperative.)
It is the ZENITH of MORALITY.
The APOGEE of ETHICS.
The EPITOME of RIGHTEOUSNESS…and ALL that is good.
It is a MESSIANIC necessity.
The criminal, diabolical, perverse, twisted and murderous ZIONIST ENTITY has thus far refused to be destroyed.
It refused in 1948.
In 1967.
In 1973.
And later.
It must NOT be allowed to refuse any more.
NEVER AGAIN!!!
Therefore, it MUST BE DESTROYED.
NOW
For WORLD PEACE!
For the GOOD OF MANKIND!!
This HOLY CRUSADE must, this time, succeed.
There is no longer any choice.
How, otherwise, can humankind continue to live—to survive—on this earth?
A lot of the cause can be found in the changing economics of news. They can’t afford boots-on-the-ground reporting any more, traditional advertising simply doesn’t pay enough. As a result, a lot of news is pre-written for them, often by paying clients, which are not just businesses but include governments like ours and organizations like Hamas.
News reporting, like so much else these days, has been captured by marketing. The key word to search for is “earned media”. In essence, you can have anything you like covered as straight news if you pay someone who can position it for you, and the news outlet will put their reporters’ bylines on it. It’s not no-name places either, outlets such as Bloomberg and the New York Times participate. In my day job I get solicited by these companies all the time.
This is one of many reasons why we need to be careful about what media narratives we internalize. Much of it is literally bought and paid for.
I agree with all of the above, Neo. But I would add an important point: the NYTimes in particular is offering what most of its regular readers and subscribers want to hear; in general, but in particular regarding Israel. Other than observant Jews (and certainly not all of them), most Times readers are pro-Palestinian, and a significant minority are likely pro-Hamas. They want their cherished opinions (and the moral superiority they feel from these opinions) reinforced, but never questioned. The Times gladly provides
Melisande, I agree. The Associated Press, for instance, has accepted a huge grant to support “reporting” on climate issues. This functions essentially as a publicity office for climate alarmist thing tanks and propaganda.
The New York Times has been an untrustworthy source of information my whole adult life, at least since the 80s. To me, the Washington Post is the tragedy; while always slanted left and very pro-federal government, it always seemed to me to be a reasonably useful source of information about the world. TDS has completely destroyed that institution, to where it seems even less trustworthy than the NYT now.
I view it as a very serious problem for this country that there is no generally trusted source of information that would allow we as citizens to have a common view of the world against which to reason. The left and the right (or globalists and nationalists, however you want to describe the current divide) don’t even agree on what is reality, let alone how to deal with it.
Most Americans are not interested in accuracy. Only that their viewpoint is confirmed. If you get your news from any corporate news organization you are being fed propaganda.
Related:
“Disinformation Reporter Ben Collins Failed to Correct the Gaza Hospital Story”—
https://reason.com/2023/10/19/ben-collins-disinformation-hospital-gaza-israel/
H/T Instapundit.
Wherein just another earnest, morally imbued psychopath insists on doing his best to make the world a better place…
Heh! President Fentanyl demonstrates empathy and understanding!
“Joe Biden: ‘I Can Understand Why’ People Believe Israel Bombed Gaza Hospital”—
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2023/10/19/joe-biden-i-can-understand-why-people-believe-israel-bombed-gaza-hospital-n1736243
H/T Instapundit.
(They don’t call him “Decent Joe” for nuthin’…)
“The EPITOME OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”, continued…
Exhibit [gosh, I’ve lost count]:
“Trans professor trying to ‘build a better world’ wants ‘excrement’ Jews to ‘rot in hell’ “—
https://www.campusreform.org/article?id=24205
H/T Instapundit.
Just another earnest activist crawling out of the woodwork, trying his best to make things better in his own special way….
Empathy, continued…
“Biden Lifts Sanctions On Venezuela Dictator Maduro In Exchange For Oil”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/biden-lifts-sanctions-venezuela-dictator-maduro-exchange-oil
Can’t get much more empathetic than this!
– – – – – – – – – – – –
Meanwhile, the Hoary, Orange-Headed Anti-Empath raises his hoary, orange head…
“…Trump Slams Biden For Handing $100 Million To Palestinians”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/video-trump-slates-biden-handing-100-million-palestinians
With no decency (but plenty of common sense), Trump is obviously a man who should never have be allowed anywhere near the White House.
File under: Empathy for the Devil…
And what do we have here!?
“UN Security Council Resolution 2231 Banning Missile Transfers To Iran Expires”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2023-10-19/un-security-council-resolution-2231-banning-missile-transfers-iran-expires
Say what you want about him, “Biden”‘s sense of timing is absolutely impeccable!