Al-Jazeera: Fair and Balanced, not

Written by Screen Rant
Published October 22, 2004

This is a knee-jerk, stream-of-consciousness post that I haven't thought all the way through... so there may be holes big enough to drive a truck through it. But I don't care.

I was just reading the latest news on the latest kidnapping in Iraq: Margaret Hassan, the director of CARE who has dedicated her entire life to providing humanitarian aid to Iraqis. Can't you just smell the irony?

What struck me about this article[opens in new window] (beyond the fact of Hassan's kidnapping, of course) was the following:

"An editor at Al-Jazeera, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the network received the tape Friday but refused to say how or where."

I've read statements from the head of Al-Jazeera which say that they are not partisan and are only reporting the news that is not shown in the West, blah blah blah.

What a load of crap.

They continue to give a venue to the radical Islamists and support their propaganda by not only broadcasting these videos, but by protecting the sources of these tapes.

Where does a responsible news organization draw the line? Don't give me any grief about Fox News... If there was a serial killer out there with an accomplice who was delivering videotapes of the victims' pleas and deaths, do you not think they would call in the FBI in a heartbeat to track down the killer?

These terrorists have kidnapped and murdered multiple times, they continue to send tapes to Al-Jazeera, yet it seems that nothing is done to try to track down these murderers due to what, a journalistic code of protecting sources?

I repeat: What a load of crap.

Keep reading for information and comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own!
Al-Jazeera: Fair and Balanced, not
Published: October 22, 2004
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Section: Culture
Filed Under: Culture: Media
Writer: Screen Rant
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Comments

#1 — October 22, 2004 @ 12:49PM — Sean

You're not just ranting.

Watch the documentary about Al Jazeera during the first few months of the Iraq war, "The Control Room". ALL of the reporters were against the US. Of course, there was the obligatory and perfunctory "Yes, of course we hate Saddam BUT..."

The documentary was interesting, but what I found most interesting of all was that the producers of it never once asked the Al Jazeerans why the NEWS channel never criticizes its usurper-King?

Oh, that's right--he gots the money!

Nor did the producers ask them why they insist on calling bomb-strapped lunatics who murder children on buses and in markets as "martyrs".

#2 — October 22, 2004 @ 14:01PM — Claire Robinson

Always go with your gut, Sean. Al Jazeera is the most biased, edited, and agenda fostering media complex on the planet. They have an agenda far worse than liberal or conservative. They are the spin machine for those who would destroy us. Thats the story they spin.

They are in business to spin the pov of the arab countries. Don't believe a word they say, unless it is documented by three sources which you trust. Not reported..DOCUMENTED.


Claire

#3 — October 22, 2004 @ 14:03PM — Claire Robinson

I said "Sean" I revise to Screen Rant...oh for both eyes to be working at the same time.....LOL....but what I said still stands...

#4 — October 22, 2004 @ 19:00PM — kj [URL]

And how is this different than refusing to give out the name of the source for a leaked CIA agent's identity?

#5 — October 22, 2004 @ 19:17PM — Vic [URL]

KJ,

I certainly wouldn't defend THAT either, although that isn't the same as helping promote murderers, their cause, and encouraging them to do more of the same.

Vic

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