Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 ggr 02/21/84; site bentley.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!bentley!dxa From: dxa@bentley.UUCP (DR Anolick) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: MURDER of CBS News crew in Lebanon Message-ID: <516@bentley.UUCP> Date: Wed, 27-Mar-85 14:04:34 EST Article-I.D.: bentley.516 Posted: Wed Mar 27 14:04:34 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 28-Mar-85 02:37:51 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Piscataway Lines: 91 Let me start by saying that I feel that this discussion should only take place in net.politics and not net.tv. I have taken net.tv off of the newsgroups list and I hope others in this discussion do the same. > This past week, while conducting its "Iron Fist" policy of withdrawal in > Southern Lebanon, two freelance employees of CBS News were killed by a > shell fired from an Israeli tank crew. There have been conflicting reports > on whether the crew was (1) in the company of armed terrorists/guerilla > fighters, (2) visable/recognizable to the tank crew, and (3) in a location > approved by the Israelis for TV news crews. > Please understand that I am NOT supporting either the Israelis or the other > factions. A journalist can not take sides when covering an issue or conflict. > In an attempt to head off some flames, let me say that I am working quite hard > to prevent these personal feelings from influencing my news judgement, and I > believe I have done just that since the murders occurred. You say that you are working to prevent your personal feelings from influencing your news judgement, yet you insist on calling the deaths of the newsmen MURDER. But as you say in your first paragraph, there are conflicting reports as to the facts behind their deaths, so calling it murder at this time is certainly a biased report. I _DO NOT_ claim Israeli innocence in this affair. Since the facts are not all available, I cannot know what the real story is. But I do know from the recent history of the media, that when it comes to Israel there has been very biased reporting. Of course there have been deaths of civilians as well as soldiers. This happens in war. Why is ALL the blame Israel's? You mean to tell me that no one is shooting back at them? > These rules include telling the various news crews what > they may and may not shoot. Often the only thing they are allowed to shoot are > pictures of tanks withdrawing from an area. They may not take pictures of the > Israelis killing "suspected" terrorists. They may not take pictures of the > weapons the Israelis say they take out of homes in Shiite villages. They may > not take pictures or report on the interrogation of suspected terrorists. With the beginning of the 1982 war in Lebanon, the press in this country began showing reports labeled "Censored by the Israeli Military." These labels were often accompanied with statements like yours above. The impression that the public gets is that what they see in the reports is actually much more mild than what is really happening. So for example if the scene is children crying over a burnt out building, the public assumes that much more destruction has taken place. However, most Israeli censoring is in terms of military information. Even the shots of tanks withdrawing are censored so that numbers are not revealed to Israel's enemies. As for the "weapons the Israelis say they take out of homes in Shi-ite villages" I assume you are implying that there are no such weapons. I heard similar claims in the summer of 1982, about the amount of weapons taken from the PLO at the start of the war in Lebanon. When in Israel, I saw some of those weapons taken, believe me, they were real. And of course, there is another type of censoring. The type which the media in this country does, but its never labeled as censored by ABC, NBC, or CBS news. I'm talking about selective reporting. Again, back in 1982, at the start of the push into Lebanon, the Israeli's bombed Sidon and Tyre. Before doing so, they first dropped leaflets telling the population to take cover at the beaches, since they will be bombing. This went unreported. And for being part of a war zone, these two cities were relatively untouched. But the reports from these cities featured the destroyed sections. (and were of course labeled as censored) I'm sure that there were even reporters who took a deserted bombed out building, brought children in from another untouched area, and had them sit in the rubble and cry before they would film the destruction. I do think that there is a current media bias in this country against Israel. But it is a sword that cuts both ways. Prior to the early 70's, the bias in this country was toward Israel, (and Israel took full advantage of it) now it is against (and Israels enemies are taking full advantage of it) I do know that I have lost almost all faith in the US media providing a fair and balanced account of ANY news, not just the mideast. Look, Israel isn't perfect, any more than the U.S. is. I do feel that the entire war in Lebanon was a mistake. But they have been unilaterally withdrawing! Isn't that worth something! I mean we don't see Syria withdrawing, now do we? And during the pull-out, Israeli forces have been constantly attacked. But there has been relatively little reporting on the withdraw until this tragic accident. Droyan David Roy Anolick ihnp4!bentley!droyan (or dxa) ^ ^^^ ^^ P.S. In today's paper, there was a small article with the headline: "CBS Accepts Israeli Version of Crew Deaths." Was it on page one? Of course not. It was on page ten, and I almost skipped right over it.