By Temple A. Stark, Casa Grande, Ariz.
(See also this post by Pete Blackwell and following comments)
People who don’t like "the media" seem immediately certain that there should be major fallout from the error.
From a Reuters article, via Yahoo: "Accuracy in Media, said in a news release that "blood is on the hands of Newsweek magazine" for the story. AIM editor Cliff Kincaid expressed incredulity that "nobody at Newsweek has been fired or even reprimanded."
Already? Less than 24 hours later?
It’s not that simple.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan, from the same article:
"The report has had serious consequences," McClellan said. "People have lost their lives. The image of the United States abroad has been damaged. It has certainly caused damage to the credibility of the media as well, and Newsweek itself."
Again, there are people who certainly hope the credibility of "the media" is damaged. They do and would love nothing more. After all, from a company or a political party’s point of view, it’s easier to get your bullshit through when the bullshit detector is damaged and being self-examined. And no one should believe the media isn’t one of the most self-examining industries out there - probably second only to nuclear energy. More so, it does so much of that self-examination in public, mostly self-propelled, as well as often "encouraged" by others.
Most do so willingly. (Full disclosure I am a newspaper reporter)
However, never underestimate the desire of other national media outlets to beat up on the competition.
The problem with the facts now at hand? Newsweek has said a source that told them about the Koran abuse now think he may have seen mention of that in other Pentagon documents, not the secret unreleased report cited by Newsweek.
That’s certainly the most charitable "spin" on what has happened; an error that some - who want to spin the other way - attribute to causing 16 deaths in Afghanistan resulting from riots.
The idea of personal responsibility seems to go right out the window at times like this doesn’t it? Add to this issue, the approximate cause seems more to be the fiery oratory and exhortation from a popular Pakistani member of Parliament Imran Khan (and former cricket player, commonly referred to as a "legend" and "hero") who said there was an attack on Islam in the name of the war on terror and demanded the unthinkable — "urgent debate." Link or search for ‘Imran Khan newsweek’ in Google.
Article comments
1 - Aaman
In Bangalore, India, when I was in my teens, something similar happened. There were rumors of some disturbances on M G Road, the main throughfare of the city in front of the newspaper offices of the Deccan Herald. Some vandalism was reported as well.
It turned out that the Sunday edition of the newspaper had printed a short story called "The Idiot" about a village idiot called Muhammad. This turned out to be reason enough to incite crowds to gather, burn and destroy property and demand an apology from the paper.
2 - Shark
from the article: "...The 22-nation Arab League issued a statement saying if the allegations panned out, Washington should apologize to Muslims..."
Yeah!
Kinda like when Saudi Arabia apologized for a handful of their nutbars who brought down the twin towers.
Nah. Nevermind.
Killing 3,000 can't be nearly as offensive as sticking some jibberish -covered paper in a latrine.
Feh.
3 - Shark
additional comment:
Wow! What news!
Now the radical Jihad gangs have a reason to hate us.
4 - Dave Nalle
>>It turned out that the Sunday edition of the newspaper had printed a short story called "The Idiot" about a village idiot called Muhammad. This turned out to be reason enough to incite crowds to gather, burn and destroy property and demand an apology from the paper. <<
Was it a crowd of all the village idiots named Mohammed in India?
Dave
5 - Eric Olsen
great title!
6 - Aaman
But nothing to the story?
7 - Temple Stark
Man - exhibit A in a big big way>
Whatchoo talking 'bout Aaman, Eric's comment? Or ...
8 - bhw
As bad as it would be if the story were false and Newsweek ran it without doing its homework just to break the story ....
Ain't no way the media should be worried about or held responsible for the actions of murderous religious zealots.
This story reeks of either bad journalism on one end or wussing out on the other. Did Newsweek start to undermine their own story because of the reaction? That would be the worst news of all.
9 - dee
If this story is true, then the only one who is a fault is the person who flushed the koran down the toilet. Newsweek merely reported the event (if it is true). I do think it is time editors and journalists started thinking about the ramifications if some of their stories are published. Was it really important that we know someone flushed the koran down the toilet? No it was not. No was hurt by this act. But once it was let out that someone did it, people died and that is the travesity. All because and editor or a journalist did not stop and think, 'how important is this' and a bunch of nutjobs read it.
10 - Natalie Davis
It is interesting to see Repugs crowing that people died because of what Newsweek reported (and I don't know if the mag's finding re: the Koran is true or untrue) -- how about the thousands dead and wounded because of the Bushites' invasion?
11 - Aaman
Well put, Natalie
Eric's comment, T
12 - Temple Stark
Gotcha Aaman. The man is busy busy busy :-)
13 - Temple Stark
Gotcha Aaman. The man is busy busy busy :-)
14 - EVApilot
See "Brass Eye - Paedogeddon" ( http://www.glgarden.org/foreverman/brasseye.html ) and all the fuss it caused afterwards ( http://observer.guardian.co.uk/2001review/story/0,1590,624130,00.html ).
Or maybe the protests against the BBC following the broadcast of Jerry Springer - The Opera.
The same comparisons can be made between our "civilised" society and "theirs". No further comment required.
15 - Temple Stark
Another spectacular failure in the thought process. I said there would be more people like this. Sorry, you guys are losing what ever cred you think you had. Pathetic. Again I ask, where is that mantle of personal responsibility we hear so much about.
Newsweek has bloooooood on its hands?
That's just so sad that someone has allowed themselves to be pulled by the nose and manipulated. Talk about peer pressure.
Newsweek's biggest error was in retracting the story. What they should have done is pursued the "rest of the story." They had a source who they had gone to many times before. All the source says is that he saw the specific allegations in another report.
Or maybe he saw it in the numerous media reports and Pentagon reports over the last 12 months. This 10-line piece in Newsweek has been given too much power - by people with an agenda against media.