Media Bias

Gargoyle

I'd like to show two articles referring to the same event. I believe this is one of the clearest cases of media bias I've seen recently and the culprit is the Irish Times. I'd be interested in hearing other takes on this:

Here's the Irish Times Version

Irish soldier seriously injured in Lebanon beating

An Irish soldier was seriously injured in the Lebanon when he was attacked by a group of men early this morning.

Comdt Harry O’Connor was one of four unarmed international military observers who were attacked when their patrol was stopped by a group of armed men at Shebaa Farms, in a disputed area between Lebanon and Israel.

The officers were pulled from their vehicles and severely beaten by the armed men.

One Norwegian and one French officer were also injured in the incident, although their injuries are not thought to be serious.

Comdt O’Connor, who is from Kerry, was treated at the scene by Indian medics from a nearby post. He has been moved to a hospital in Israel, where he is being treated for head injuries.

Here's another version

Five U.N. troops injured in scuffle with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon

By JOSEPH PANOSSIAN, Associated Press Writer

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah forces beat up three unarmed U.N. observers and two armed peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, the U.N. peacekeeping force commander said, fueling fears that the area could become a second front in Mideast violence.

Israel, meanwhile, said Thursday that Hezbollah fired still another volley of rockets at an outpost along the disputed border. There were no reports of injuries.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the attacks, which have become an almost daily occurrence, were carried out with "Iranian approval and Iranian assistance" and could not have been carried out "without the full support and assistance of Syria."

Israel pulled its forces out of southern Lebanon in 2000 ending an 18-year occupation of the area.

Tensions are high in the area along Israel's northern border, the scene of several clashes recently between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

The scuffle with Hezbollah forces broke out Thursday after an unarmed U.N. observer patrol reached the village of Mari, near the disputed Chebaa Farms area.

The observers — from Ireland, Norway and France — were confronted by Hezbollah gunmen who would not let them pass, a U.N. observer force officer said on condition of anonymity. An argument broke out, and the gunmen assaulted the observers.

The three officers are in stable condition in an Israeli hospital, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

A separate U.N. peacekeeping patrol manned by armed Indian officers was nearby at the time and intervened in the scuffle. This sparked a fistfight in which two Indians were hurt. Two U.N. vehicles were also damaged.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) strongly condemned the attack. An escalation of tension along the border "could have serious consequences for peace and security in the region," Eckhard said.

Hezbollah's deputy leader, Sheik Naim Kassem, said in a television interview Thursday night that the scuffle was "a minor incident that was solved." He told the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. that the U.N. members happened to be in a "tense area of (military) operations."

The commander of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, Gen. Lalit Tewari of India, said he received assurances from the guerillas that such incidents won't happen again. Lebanese authorities expressed concern over the fight, he said.

Col. Amol Astana, commander of the Indian peacekeeping contingent, said the patrol and the observers were confronted by eight to 10 armed Hezbollah members. Astana said his forces did not respond because their role is to act as peacekeepers. They reported the scuffle to Lebanese authorities.

Also Thursday, Staffan de Mistura, Annan's personal representative in Lebanon, met with Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to discuss the rising tension in country's south.

A day earlier, Annan delivered a warning from Israel to Syrian and Lebanese leaders that stepped up attacks by Hezbollah could bring "alarming consequences" for the Middle East.

Israel accuses Syria — the main power broker in Lebanon — of backing Hezbollah guerillas, who fought Israeli forces during the Jewish state's 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon.

Syria has massed about 20,000 troops in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, away from the Israeli border and apparently for exercises, a U.S. defense official said Thursday, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Most of these troops were already in Lebanon, where Syria maintains a military presence.

Some countries neighboring Israel have stepped up their military readiness in response to Israel's call-up of its reserves, a U.S. official said. But there's no signs of any offensives brewing.

The biggest question I had was, WHY did the Irish Times choose to omit the fact that the Irish peacekeeper was beaten by Hezbollah? Do you think that the Irish Times would have omitted said fact had it been not Hezbollah, but the IDF? I think not...

Chaos-Engine

I disagree. Confirmation that the group/mob was Hezbollah. i think not. An assumption due the justification for the attack on Southern Lebanon given by the IDF.
The Irish media I must say has handled resent events pretty well. (e.g. They don't call Osama Bin Laden a terrorist like everyone else. They call him a dissident. I mean. Does he even exist.)
Why should we trust Yahoo news? Where is their back-up that it was Hezbollah and not the local football hoolgians???

gandalf

Or Gargoyle the IT were making sure of facts before they published the story fully. You took their article from the breaking news section.

Here is the story as appeared in todays newspaper proper.

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/world/2002/0405/1410918314FR05LEB.html

Irish officer injured by Hizbullah in Lebanon
By Alison Healy

An Irish Army officer was being treated for serious injuries in hospital in Israel last night, following an attack in south Lebanon.Comdt Harry O'Connor is serving with the United Nation's Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO).

He and three colleagues were patrolling the disputed area of Shebaa Farms when they were attacked by members of Hizbullah - the Lebanese armed resistance group. Shebaa Farms, close to the Israeli border has been a fire zone between Hizbullah and the Israeli army in recent days.

Comdt O'Connor, two Norwegian officers and one French officer were acting as international observers and were unarmed. There was no gunfire but three of the four officers were injured. Comdt O'Connor's injuries were the greatest but were not life-threatening, a Defence Forces spokesman said yesterday.

He received serious injuries to his head, ribs and arms.Witnesses said Hizbollah men beat the observers with sticks and their fists, but a UN official in New York said they had also used rifle butts.

Comdt O'Connor received initial treatment from Indian peacekeepers and was then taken to the UNIFIL HQ in Naqoura. From there, he was transferred to a hospital in northern Israel for further treatment. Comdt O'Connor is on a two-year tour of duty in south Lebanon. His wife travelled with him to south Lebanon and was at his beside yesterday. Comdt O'Connor is in his 30s and is originally from Kerry.

Armed Irish troops pulled out of Lebanon last year but 13 Irish officers are serving as military observers with UNTSO. Just last Monday, an Irish man, Maj Gen Carl Dodd, was promoted to chief of staff of the UNTSO mission. UN chief spokesman, Mr Fred Eckhard, said the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, "strongly condemns the deliberate assault this morning by Hizbullah elements on unarmed UN military observers". The UN had received a "profound apology from Hizbullah, along with assurances that this will never happen again," Mr Eckhard said.

The Lebanese government had also expressed full support for the work of the UN peacekeepers" he said, adding that UNIFIL had requested an investigation of the incident "at the highest level."

No bias there. They obviously were waiting to get the full details on the story. Next example please.

Gandalf.

bugler

Well played Gargoyle! And really, as a staunch supporter of Israel and the US you could pick smarter battlegrounds than media bias...

Gargoyle

Originally posted by gandalf
Or Gargoyle the IT were making sure of facts before they published the story fully. You took their article from the breaking news section.

Here is the story as appeared in todays newspaper proper.

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/world/2002/0405/1410918314FR05LEB.html



No bias there. They obviously were waiting to get the full details on the story. Next example please.

Gandalf.

Fair enough Gandalf

The Irish media I must say has handled resent events pretty well. (e.g. They don't call Osama Bin Laden a terrorist like everyone else. They call him a dissident

I'm sorry, but if the Irish Times refuses to call bin Laden a terrorist then that is not being unbiased, it is being biased.

Well played Gargoyle! And really, as a staunch supporter of Israel and the US you could pick smarter battlegrounds than media bias...

Had the Irish Times not corrected this in the next day's issue, this definitely would have qualified as media bias. Fortunately, they did correct it.

gandalf

I wouldn't call it a correction rather a further expansion of the story !!!

See I can be politically correct

Gandalf.

Chaos-Engine

Originally posted by Gargoyle

I'm sorry, but if the Irish Times refuses to call bin Laden a terrorist then that is not being unbiased, it is being biased.

To date Bin Laden has not be tried and convicted as a terrorist. There is no concrete proof that he was involved in the september 11th attacks.

I am a firm believer of "Innocent until proven guilty" no matter who is the accused. I myself believe Bin Laden was responsible for training the hijackers...BUT It would be wrong to conclude that he is a terrorist until it is proven in an international unbiased(that been non-US) court.

Victor

IT breaking news	Last updated: 04-04-02, 17:53 (16:53 GMT, I think this was the only version
			of the story, as I refreshed about that time and it was then the newest story)

NY Times 		Thu Apr 4, 9:36 PM ET (02:36 GMT ?)

IT Main newspaper	Usually published between 4:00 and 6:00 (03:00 and 05:00 GMT)

With a title like "Irish soldier seriously injured in Lebanon beating" are you suggesting anyone thought that it was the IDF doing the beating?

Alternatively, I suggest it is a lot easier to recognise IDF personnel seeing as they wear uniforms and carry ID.

Clintons Cat

Originally posted by Chaos-Engine


To date Bin Laden has not be tried and convicted as a terrorist. There is no concrete proof that he was involved in the september 11th attacks.

I am a firm believer of "Innocent until proven guilty" no matter who is the accused. I myself believe Bin Laden was responsible for training the hijackers...BUT It would be wrong to conclude that he is a terrorist until it is proven in an international unbiased(that been non-US) court.

I think OBL claimed responsibility for the American Embassy bombings in africa both prior to and after sept 11th.
He is also wanted in conection with the first attack on the WTC in 1994.
I think it would be fair to assume he is a Terrorist.

JustHalf

Yes.

If you don't think bin Laden is a terrorist (regardless of your opinion on the WTC and Pentagon attacks) you're being a bit silly.

GerK

Originally posted by JustHalf
Yes.

If you don't think bin Laden is a terrorist (regardless of your opinion on the WTC and Pentagon attacks) you're being a bit silly.

If you swallow everything you are force fed by th mass media, without trying to look deeper into the issues, you are also being a bit silly.

The fact is Sky News et. al. had convicted Bin Laden within days (if not hours) of the attack on the WTC. I have real doubts (albeit small ones) whether this man even exists. Please remember that the media had behaved similarly in the case f the Oklahoma bombing, until it became obvious it was an internal attack. The mainstream media is run like a business, this means it is biased by its own interests, despite the best intentions of individual reporters.

Hobbes

speaking of sky news. appears they change things when it doesn't go the way they want.

They had a poll on this morning "Should the UK invade Iraq with the US" or something like that. The poll was shown a few times as 47% yes, 53% no.

About an hour ago the woman presenter said and the poll is finished with 47% saying NO and 53% saying YES but said she couldn't show the poll at this time.

Sand

Sure you know yourself Hobbes that they dont even listen to the calls- thats just a sham. They put in the figures theyre told to by Tony Blair.

JustHalf

Originally posted by GerK
I have real doubts (albeit small ones) whether this man even exists.

(!!!)