If The Horse were here . . .

[wingco]

. . he'd probably recommend, as he did to me, this.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Newspeak-21st-Century-David-Edwards/dp/0745328938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251654227&sr=8-1

It's a brilliant examination of the ingrained bias of the supposedly neutral liberal media. It's got countless examples from the horse's (as opposed to The Horse's) mouth of journalists giving the game away, betraying their own naive belief in the independence of the media, and by extension themselves. It's also full of instances of bland reportage masquerading as impartial, but which presupposes the good intentions of Western leaders while marginalising the voices and stories of the oppressed, and tarring dissidents with subtly pejorative language.

I read it in a single sitting. It's extremely persuasive, very well backed up, depressing in many ways but actually very exhilarating. The points made here are basically familiar - these are the medialens guys, and they've been doing this for a good while but they're reinforced with riveting detail. More than recommended - mandatory, I'd say. But don't expect to see any glowing broadsheet reviews of it.

[Gangster Octopus]

If The Horse were here . . .

Is this the time to start my "Kill All Journos" campaign? Actually, it's probably the time but not the place...

[Duncan Gardner]

If The Horse were here . . .

Gangster Octopus wrote:

Is this the time to start my "Kill All Journos" campaign? Actually, it's probably the time but not the place...

You could do worse than start with this bell end.

[Mumpo]

If The Horse were here . . .

Has The Horse left? Just checking... I mean, stranger things have happened after a week away.

Should I close the stable door?

[Guest]

If The Horse were here . . .

Black Madonna Czestochowa wrote:

You could do worse than start with this bell end.

Given the overt prejudice them and other locals have faced in times, both recent and in the past, it'd be interesting to know what the local Poles in south Belfast thought?

But the sensationalist article and potential response doesn't help.
But it was bound to happen, that somebody else would be irritated by the excesses of loyalism!

[Duncan Gardner]

If The Horse were here . . .

Munchkin wrote:

Given the overt prejudice them and other locals have faced in times, both recent and in the past, it'd be interesting to know what the local Poles in south Belfast thought?

I imagine they'll be just as pissed off as NI fans. It's a lazy, cliched dig at their country as well as likely to increase tension in Belfast.

But it was bound to happen, that somebody else would be irritated by the excesses of loyalism!

It's got nothing to do with the excesses of loyalism.

!!

[Moonlight Shadow]

If The Horse were here . . .

I've got a book about bears shitting in the woods I can recommend you Wingco, bet you never thought there was anything serious in that...

[Tubby Isaacs]

If The Horse were here . . .

I'm only a skimreader of Media Lens so perhaps someone can clarify. It seems to be pretty harsh on the idea of objective journalism, as suggested by the BBC. So what is journalism? Looking at their stuff on Hiroshima, Media Lens (quite rightly) call for the view that it was unnecessary to be given equal prominence to the view that it was necessary. Wouldn't this, in some sense, be objective journalism?

[Guest]

If The Horse were here . . .

Black Madonna Czestochowa wrote:

Munchkin wrote:

Given the overt prejudice them and other locals have faced in times, both recent and in the past, it'd be interesting to know what the local Poles in south Belfast thought?

I imagine they'll be just as pissed off as NI fans. It's a lazy, cliched dig at their country as well as likely to increase tension in Belfast.

But it was bound to happen, that somebody else would be irritated by the excesses of loyalism!

It's got nothing to do with the excesses of loyalism.

Well would be interested to see their response, if it comes into the public domain.

And of course it's got everything to do with those regular excesses, which are based on paranoia towards outsiders and anti-Catholicism, which was the basis for the hostility in March that led to the article.

The fact it's in a nominally unionist paper is more interesting....

[Etienne]

If The Horse were here . . .

One of my favourite books is Phillip Knightley's The First Casualty which is an absolutely brilliant history of war reporting and the conscious and unconscious propagation of national ideology that is part of it. The edition I've got includes the Falklands, but just checking now he's now updated it to include Afghanistan and Iraq. It's one of those books that I'd almost say is essential for understanding what you read in papers.

Anyway, in it he lambasts Claud Cockburn for his journalism of the Spanish Civil War, for effectively propagandising for the republican side and twisting/inventing the facts to fit his purpose. And while I don't like to take sides against family, I think Knightley has a case, whatever the personal feelings of the journalist might be, they should tell the truth - if they think that the result of the war is more important than that, then fine do what you can to aid your side, but give up the war reporting.

Which is a long-winded way of getting round to Tubby's point, but as I understand it, both medialens and the BBC take the Knightley view on objective journalism, but for medialens it's about the news coming to an informed decision on the issue and then presenting it, whereas the Beeb (whether for ideological or political purposes) has to show it is being "objective" by offering both sides of every issue. Obviously this can lead to some very illusory balances, but I don't really think that as a national state-funded broadcaster the BBC can really get away with presenting the sort of journalism that medialens would advocate (much as I'd like them to).

[NHH]

If The Horse were here . . .

Wow - you're related to Claud Cockburn?

[Etienne]

If The Horse were here . . .

My grandfather's cousin.

[Gangster Octopus]

If The Horse were here . . .

Not bad. Not as good as Mitch's relative, though...