How can you tell the difference between a Hezbollah fighter and a civilian? I’ve always wondered how the civilian counts were ascertained in Lebanon when Hezbollah terrorists don’t wear uniforms. Looks like I’ve found the answer: Certain segments of the media simply take the word of Hezbollah.
Normally, this type of statement could be characterized as a right wing Pavlovian foaming at the mouth upon hearing the word media. However, in this case, the accusation is — very unfortunately — absolutely true. Lately, I’ve been loathe to criticize the media since I feel that a lot of the “proof” of media bias is the product of cherry-picking. This disturbing article, The media aims its missiles, has forced me to speak out and to call a spade a spade: Certain segments of the media have turned into propaganda arms of Hezbollah and their Islamofascist allies. (Note: Link found via Sullivan.)
Wait a second! This is from the Jerusalem Post. How do we know it’s not propaganda from the other side? Well, let us ignore the framing and look at the irrefutable facts. Following are two paragraphs from the article, which I’ve highlighted in blue:
CNN “senior international correspondent” Nic Robertson admitted that his anti-Israel report from Beirut on July 18 about civilian casualties in Lebanon, was stage-managed from start to finish by Hizbullah. He revealed that his story was heavily influenced by Hizbullah’s “press officer” and that Hizbullah has “very, very sophisticated and slick media operations.”
When pressed a few days later about his reporting on the CNN program “Reliable Sources,” Robertson acknowledged that Hizbullah militants had instructed the CNN camera team where and what to film. Hizbullah “had control of the situation,” Robertson said. “They designated the places that we went to, and we certainly didn’t have time to go into the houses or lift up the rubble to see what was underneath.”
There’s no way to spin this. Hezbollah “instructed the CNN camera team where and what to film” and that’s a fact. When you allow a terrorist organization to direct your news footage (and present it as objective news), it is no longer media bias: It is propaganda.
In the second page of the article, a quote from Robertson confirms my suspicions about civilian casualties in Lebanon: “We didn’t have enough time to see if perhaps there was somebody there who was, you know, a taxi driver by day, and a Hizbullah fighter by night.”
Even more disturbing is that the article reveals that the problem is not limited to CNN: “NBC’s Richard Engel, CBS’s Elizabeth Palmer, and a host of European and other networks, were also taken around the damaged areas by Hizbullah minders. Palmer commented on her report that ‘Hizbullah is also determined that outsiders will only see what it wants them to see.'”
How determined is Hezbollah? Physical intimidation is part of their modus operandi: “[Hezbollah] has a copy of every journalist’s passport, and they’ve already hassled a number of us and threatened one.” Yet, instead of fighting for the truth, it appears that the media has acquiesced to Hezbollah.
I must take this one step further. This isn’t merely propaganda against Israel. Before 9/11, Hezbollah held the distinction of being the terrorist organization that had killed the most Americans. Hezbollah is not only Israel’s enemy, but America’s enemy. When you get right down to it, CNN and its ilk is producing propaganda for the enemy. There is only one word for it: Treason.
It is not with glee that I report these traitorous activities. For me, the extent of this is very surprising and extremely disturbing. I don’t want to call CNN treasonous, but their activities have forced me to. Treason is not a word one should toss around lightly and I have only used it very reluctantly.