The Blogosphere contains a wealth of opinions and claims, some of which contribute to a rational debate and others which may be the personal rantings of a deranged individual. While freedom of speech requires a degree of responsibility that is sometimes lacking in blogs, reputable news services are compelled to comply with much higher standards.
So why, then, is Reuters publishing a blog posting entitled "Israeli Troops Given the Go-Ahead to Kill Peaceful Palestinian Protesters"? The posting reveals its true nature in the first line:
The Zionist regime has given orders to allow Israeli troops to fire live rounds on Palestinians protesting the illegal Apartheid Wall surrounding Jerusalem.
Continuing in a hateful and one-sided vein, failing to mention Palestinian terror or legitimate Israeli security concerns:
The Apartheid Wall, meant to strangle local West Bank economies and annex Palestinian land, started to encapsulate occupied Jerusalem in 2002.
Merely the term "Zionist regime", popularized by terrorist groups and individuals such as Iran's President Ahmadinejad, should have been enough to raise alarm bells at Reuters as to the unsuitability of such a posting. Not to mention the contents of the piece itself, which maliciously accuses Israel of actively seeking to kill Palestinian protestors.
Reuters includes the disclaimer: "The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by Reuters.com." While Reuters may not endorse the sentiments of the blog posting, it still decided to publish them on its own site, therefore giving it unwarranted credibility as a news source.
Reuters asks you to Let us know what you think of this feature. Please do so by selecting the Blogs option in the Topics menu and ask Reuters to exercise responsibility in its choice of blogs.
MORE BBC APOLOGIES
The JPost reports:
In a news item on March 7, following the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva attack, the BBC showed a bulldozer demolishing a house, while correspondent Nick Miles told viewers: "Hours after the attack, Israeli bulldozers destroyed his family home. Later, mourners set up Hamas and Islamic Jihad banners nearby."
The house, however, was not demolished; the BBC was embarrassed when news reports from other broadcasters showed the east Jerusalem home intact and the family commemorating their son's actions.
Last week, the BBC apologized live on its news program, admitting it had used footage of another house being demolished.
Proving that individual complaints can make a difference, the BBC was then forced to eat more humble pie:
In a second incident, in a news item entitled "Israel jets strike northern Gaza" on March 14 on their News Web site, the BBC reported that Israel was deliberately targeting civilians in an operation targeting Kassam rocket launch sites in Gaza, and claiming that the United Nations secretary-general had described it as an attack on civilians.
"The Israeli air force said it was targeting a rocket firing team... UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned Israel's attacks on Palestinian civilians, calling them inappropriate and disproportionate," the report said.
In stepped an activist from the UK who received the following from the BBC:
"We accept we should have made reference to what [Ban] said about Palestinian rocket attacks as well as to the 'excessive use of force' by Israel. We have amended the report, also removing the reference to Israeli 'attacks on civilians.'"
Read the full story here.
Your comments and complaints can and do make a difference, even with organizations such as the BBC. HonestReporting will continue to provide you with alerts and material to use. All we ask is that you make that small effort to make a big difference.
HAMAS OP-ED CAUSES POLITICAL TROUBLE
Those of you following the US political primary race may be aware of a July 2007 op-ed by Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk in the LA Times that is currently the subject of much condemnation.
HonestReporting was the first to rebuke the LA Times for giving a platform for terrorists in a mainstream newspaper. So why has it taken so long for the US to wake up and address this issue and only now when domestic politics have become involved?
Read HonestReporting's original communique on this LA Times op-ed and why publishing Hamas propaganda pieces could make the media legally complicit in terror.
Comment on this story on our own Backspin blog.
