A Journalist’s Job
I have been following the events in Egypt fairly closely and things are getting tough there. The protests had been mostly non-violent until yesterday when pro-Mubarak protestors (many say they are paid operatives of the Mubarak regime) started confronting anti-government protestors in Tahrir Square. It’s also gotten very dangerous for journalists. CNN’s Anderson Cooper was attacked yesterday by pro-Mubarak protestors.
There’s been reports of journalists from Al Jazeera, especially, who have been detained, roughed up and their equipment confiscated. So, this tweet by Time‘s Jay-Newton Small was especially disgusting yesterday.
According to Jay Newton-Small, a journalists job is what, exactly? Stenography from press releases and press conferences? I guess that explains the state of the U.S. media.
I’m sympathetic to arguments about television news stunts. Having reporters stand in hurricanes is just silly, IMO. Anderson Cooper is doing something really important right now though, and you can’t get the real story on Egypt without being there and experiencing it. That’s what he’s doing and I admire him and every other journalist that is doing it tremendously (especially Al Jazeera, who has been at the front lines since the beginning).
Tags: Egypt, Journalism, So-Called Liberal Media
al-Jazeera has been *killing* the coverage on Egypt. Don’t know if Pulitzers cover TV coverage, but they should get some prizes for this work. The BBC is also doing great work.
The JNS tweet is really informative and certainly confirms why it is that the Beltway media is referred to as the village Heathers. News comes from press releases and what your friends and cocktail party mates tell you. Which, of course, isn’t news — it is just part of the narrative they create for themselves that they try to pass off as news. More of that *win the day* BS. JNS wants to know why on earth you would leave the comfort of your office and local eating establishments to actually Go Get Real News. Not only are they contemptuous of *us*, but of people who will at least work for a genuine news story.
We should all be asking our cable networks to bring us AlJazzera North America. We could then turn off all the corporate owned cable stations and get some real truth.
HuffPost states, that “Israel is slamming the President stating Obama should be standing with Mubarek”. How could an apartheid theocratic nation be sticking their nose in. Mubarek has been the best ally of zionist Israel for 30 years! They arent concerned that millions of people have been under the brutual oppression of Mubarek, nor whether they live in abject poverty. Israel should shut up, its not about them. Democracy now is the best place for thorough coverage as their senior producer is most knowledgeable of the culture. I have Verizon and for the last 3 nights Verizon took down DemocracyNow and put up some Japanese news? Censoring?
We should all be asking our cable networks to bring us AlJazzera North America. We could then turn off all the corporate owned cable stations and get some real truth.
That is a stupid fight to pick. Comcast already brings me all the al Jazeera I want over the Internet. I don’t expect them to put every niche channel in the TV package. That’s what the Internet is for.
I have limited basic cable and I don’t even get CNN, MSNBC, or FOX. I don’t think it’s a conspiracy – I’m just cheap. And I’m not missing anything.
There are dozens of ways to watch Internet programs on your regular TV. No need to fuss about it.
It is a “conspiracy” as far as keeping people without (or without the desire)extra money to spend on information. Being informed shouldn’t require internet savvy or the income to get the full cable package. We have freedom of the press in this country not so conglomerate corporations can corner the market, say wahtever they want and charge people to be lied to. We have it so everyone can always know what is going in the world. Comcast is the enemy of that idea.
Im actually surprised you dont get Fox News. It was the one news channel i got before i upgraded…. I’m guessing it is why so many poorer white people are fox fans.
Internet + basic TV costs about the same as the 80-channel TV package w/o Internet. I guess it’s a question of priorities for some.
Whatever programming you are missing on basic TV, you can pick up on the Internet (mostly). Add an $8 Netflix subscription and you have more TV than you can watch.
Obama2008. I am not sure why you tagged yourself with the collar, but your views certainly dont appear to be reflective. Are you only concerned for what YOU get. How about the millions of muslims, arabs and middle easterners who love AlJazerra. We shouldnt have to watch it on the “internet”, we should be able to get it like CNN, FAUX or MSNBC. I get it on the internet and am shocked by their presentation of facts compared to the censored opinion we get as “news”. If you have Verizon you can get Bridge News which carries a couple of programs geared to middle eastern people. We are stuck on stupid because our media is ALL corporate owned and theefore biased on one issue or another. Reminds me of the Steve Croft interview with Assange, when Croft a so called “journalist” took Assange to task for “just putting the news out there”! Croft believes he has the right to decipher, censor and deliver what he thinks we should have. Thats the issue and the difference.
Here you go! think your getting any real truth from any of the networks? DemocracyNow.org has a 2hour special on today. When Christian Amanpour did her interiew with Mubarek she failed to mention his son Gamal was in the room. We have been told he left for London! Egypt had a health care system for all egyptians paid for the government not anymore its been privatized. The Nile Network (stateowned) has been broadcasting total propaganda such that journalists are resigning or quitting. Committee to Protect Journalists states hundreds of journalists have been targeted and still are today. The guvmint trying to eliminate any/all witness’s. ll people are dead and over 5000 wounded. All shops, banks, tourism, and business in general is privately owned by the military. Sulieman spoke to the people which they refer to as a “Glenn Beck” moment when he made no sense. There are tons of facts in this 2 hour show, which no corporate media in this country has delivered. Watch it yourself and see if you have heard the facts being presented on Alternative media, (non corporate owned) as opposed to what your hearing or seeing on the cable networks. Think we dont need some real truth. Also, reporting that Mubarek has resigned as head of his party along with many others. He still clings to the Presidency however. Did you hear that on OUR media? The media in the US is so censored, filtered and picked over, you hear what “they” want you to hear and nothing more. I encourage everyone interested in this topic to listen and compare yourself.