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Aha, I knew it

By Phil Urich (Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 04:15:34 PM EST) (all tags)

Now, although I wouldn't say anything like, say "Republicans are Evil" ;) I have, on the other hand, maintained for quite some time that CanWest is. And once again, evidence to support my (obvious wrong since all ideas that could be categorized as left wing are) theory! So, CanWest has been doing some rather questionable editing of the stories it gets from Reuters, eh?

This, I think, is the problematic thing about news. I mean, sure, when we hear Bush say "They hate our freedom", we know that's not exactly a perfect representation of the truth. But subtle editing and twisting of a news story, changing the tone ever so slightly? We don't generally catch those kinds of things, infact there's normally no easy way for us to find out when this has happened (and how would one suspect?).

At times, I think, for example well, maybe Bush doesn't really mean to lie, maybe he's just really really convinced about things that the rest of the world takes exception to. Or maybe it's just a difference of opinion. So then I can say, well, they (being the current U.S. administration) say things that I think are completely wrong, but they aren't lying per se, at least not all the time, sometimes it's just them being, from my point of view, idiots. They happen to disagree. Life goes on.

But contrast that to the CanWest Global Corporation, which has been documented (often by Canada's very fine but terribly underfunded Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) to deliberately manipulate the truth and quash opinions that they don't like.

I don't exactly find this comforting.

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Aha, I knew it | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

Perhaps you should start your own global by MohammedNiyalSayeed (6.00 / 1) #1 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 04:55:58 PM EST

media corporation, which you can then use to show multiple sides of every issue. Or maybe buy controlling shares of stock in CanWest.

Ah, fuck it. I'm trying, but you have to work *with* me, dude. electronicintifada? I mean, come on! I hear from prisonplanet that, like, Israelis actually hijacked those planes on September 11th, and framed those poor Wahabbists. Oh, and there was no plane that hit the Pentagon. And the whole world is a prison. Then, the other day, on al-Reuters^W^Windymedia, that, like, Israel's government is comprised entirely of former Nazis. Or something like that.

I give up. Maybe I will generate a flame war for you here, maybe not. Hard to say for sure, but I did my part, eh?

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You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.

: err, sorry by Phil Urich (3.00 / 0) #4 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 05:14:08 PM EST

I do apologise for the link; on the other hand, the article I was talking about was from the Globe and Mail (and the bulk of the ones I found when I went looking were from CBC); but yeah, Electronicintifada isn't exactly the most impartial news source, it was just one of the first that came up when I was searching, and I was lazy.

[ Parent ]

Um... by thenick (4.00 / 1) #2 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 05:06:15 PM EST

Isn't the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades a terrorist group? The only difference between them and Hamas is that they don't want the total elimination of Israel just yet. Seems like CanWest is fixing typos in the Reuters stories.

----------------------------

"'Vengence is Mine', quoth Alvis. And then he shot the guy, right in the freaking face!"

Hey, just because al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade by MohammedNiyalSayeed (6.00 / 1) #3 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 05:11:20 PM EST

recruits little kids, straps bombs to them, and sends them to get on Israeli buses doesn't make them "terrorists", you bigot! They're just enterpreneurs, figuring out how to trade their resources (children) for capital (martyr 30k payoff).

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You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.
[ Parent ]

a grey area by Phil Urich (3.00 / 0) #5 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 05:25:28 PM EST

Yeah, some of the changes are hard to disagree with. Can't exactly argue with calling al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade terrorists; that's pretty much exactly what they are, yeah. This was another example of me being lazy, I forgot to point towards the parts I was talking more about. Here's another CBC version. The second example listed there is more what I'm talking about (I believe the other CBC one mentions it too); Iraqi resistance groups, who do not target civillians or anything of the sort, being re-labled as terrorists. Plus the original objection of Reuters remains (which is a lot less partisan than my objection, yes), that this was unauthorized editing of their news stories, and if CanWest is going to do things like that, they keeping it labled then as a story from Reuters news service, along with the authors name . . . well, Reuters doesn't really like that. As their global managing editor said, "If they want to put their own judgment into it, they're free to do that, but then they shouldn't say that it's by a Reuters reporter". You can agree with that, at least, right?

[ Parent ]

Yep, I can agree with that. by MohammedNiyalSayeed (3.00 / 0) #6 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 05:37:40 PM EST

And if Reuters doesn't like what they're doing, they always have the right to stop doing business with them. In the case of Fallujah resistance fighters, 'terrorist' doesn't really apply, though if there's a crossover between said fighters and those who are targeting Iraqi police force recruiting lines, that line just got blurry again.

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You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.
[ Parent ]

okay then, by Phil Urich (3.00 / 0) #7 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 06:41:18 PM EST

to continue making my point, here's a more comprehensive account of CanWest. sidenote: I would take issue with the "they always have the right to stop doing business with them" part, but I'm not sure how to phrase my disagreement, and I' sure you'll agree it's not really worth my time to try ;) But I suppose my point is more just, I take issue with CanWest Global buying up all the different media outlets, and then forcing all the previously-independent publications and stations to follow what is essentially the party line. But I suppose this can all be justified for the greater good of capitalism?

[ Parent ]

Why can't Reuters stop dealing with CanWest? by thenick (3.00 / 0) #11 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 08:15:03 PM EST

Canada is a country of only about 35 million people, so why can't Reuters tell CanWest to suck it? ABC/CapCities has blacked out their channels to more people in the US due to contract negotiations. Are you telling me that Reuters is really going to feel a pinch because 12.5 million homes aren't able to access some Reuters stories?

----------------------------

"'Vengence is Mine', quoth Alvis. And then he shot the guy, right in the freaking face!"
[ Parent ]

: true, Canada is completely unimportant, by Phil Urich (3.00 / 0) #14 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 08:39:00 PM EST

by what I was thinking was more that, CanWest shouldn't be like that. MNS sounded as if he was saying, since Reuters can just yank their connection, then what CanWest is doing doesn't matter. I was thinking that, well, that may be perfectly true that Reuters can say goodbye to CanWest and never look back, but (a) this doesn't exactly erase the fact that when I read those articles (which, before someone asks, I don't much anymore, but on the other hand, there isn't all that many alternative sources in the backwater western half of Canada!) they've been altered without any sign that they have been, and (b) evidence would certainly suggest that CanWest does these kinds of things rather frequently and with regularity, so getting caught once and then paying for that one time, well, the problem isn't the single instance anyways.

[ Parent ]

Bush controls the Canadian media? by ObviousTroll (6.00 / 1) #8 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 07:29:34 PM EST

Who knew?

Moderation: 50% Insightful 50% Troll - the story of my life.

: errr.... by Phil Urich (3.00 / 0) #13 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 08:33:16 PM EST

somehow I'm not sure how that comes from what I've said. Now, admittedly, I tend to write in a very convoluted way, so I suppose I shouldn't take objection to it!

[ Parent ]

Given the regular complaints that Reuters by ObviousTroll (6.00 / 2) #9 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 07:32:51 PM EST

refuses to use the word "terrorist" even to describe people who take school children hostage and kill them, I'm having a certain amount of trouble sympathizing with you.

Moderation: 50% Insightful 50% Troll - the story of my life.

: fair enough by Phil Urich (3.00 / 0) #15 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 08:41:39 PM EST

but (to turn around another comment made), in that case, CanWest should just stop using their pieces, instead of editing them to be how they like. But yeah, Reuters does make a point of calling NO ONE terrorists, which in principle is understandable, but starts getting a bit less defensible when one looks at actual specific examples. So I can sympathise with your lack of sympathy :)

[ Parent ]

Sorry, just noticed this ObJoke by DesiredUsername (3.00 / 0) #10 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 07:44:07 PM EST

"Alas, Phil Urich--I knew him, Horatio."

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Now accepting suggestions for a new sigline

anti-semite [nt] by Steve Ballmer (3.00 / 0) #12 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 08:23:52 PM EST

: in the same way nietzsche was, by Phil Urich (3.00 / 0) #16 Sun Sep 19, 2004 at 08:43:39 PM EST

as in "not"

[ Parent ]

Aha, I knew it | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback