"The author of the Christian Science Monitor article on Fallujah seems OK"
Not in my book. The first three paragraphs paint a
horrific picture of events that most likely never
happened. She told a story almost exclusively from a one
sided POV. She gave lip service to what US military had to
say.
I expect journalists to know enough background to be able
to tell the reader anything critical to the story she is
telling. I also expect to hear a fair amount of coverage
given to all parties relevant to the story.
The terrorists & thugs of Fallujah aren't appropriately
cited as the perpetrators of the violence. Instead, we're
left with the impression that, once again, US troops are
committing atrocities & terrorizing innocent civilians.
And the reported never stopped to ponder why anyone in
their right mind would stay in Fallujah after Bremer & CO
all said we were going to go in, arrest or kill Sadr & put
down the illegal militia, "for the murder and
mutilation of four US security contractors in late
March".
Nope, nothing that critical of that made it into the
article.
With most highways into the city either blocked by US
military, or deemed too dangerous to travel
This slaughter seems to have come out of the blue,
trapping all these innocent civilians.
refugees offer one of the few first-hand accounts of the
turmoil.
Yup, they were the main source for this story.
"The doctors are afraid of the Americans - that they
will shoot them even in the hospitals."
"I saw nine people on the roof, and the helicopter shot
them all dead," he says. "On the way to Baghdad I saw
bodies in the car. I couldn't help them because the
Americans were shooting everyone."
Yup, plenty of deference to those folks & they are treated
as though they are perfectly credible people.
There wasn't much room for any balance for the US military
though. Only two vague sentences in the whole piece. No
one is quoted.
Coalition forces have disputed claims that attacks have
killed or wounded many civilians, though they say the
number is impossible to verify. They have reported that
most of the victims were probably participating in the
insurgency.
To me, it's just as much as what's not said & what was
said that bothers me with this type of journalism. This
was a, 'throw mud on the US military' hit piece whether
intended or not IMO. |
