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World In Crisis, Media In Conflict
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Introduction, October 31, 2001
Fear, Fury And Secrets:
War Infects The Press |
The Fear Factor
In the United States, the story is anthrax and the targeting of America. In the Middle East, the conflict is framed as Jews versus Arabs. Across Asia, political and ethnic violence is flaring in the news (and the streets), while the European press, focused on the war in Afghanistan, is criticized for presenting commentary without context. In Afghanistan, both the United States and the Taliban use radio to accuse each other of poisoning the scant humanitarian food aid getting through; U.S. broadcasts warn Afghans not to
confuse yellow food packets with unexploded bombs. And around the world, reporters must contend with strict information control by governments and
massive propaganda campaigns.
In times of crisis, media are our lifeline, our source for vital information for safety, health and public calm. But are the media and government doing their job or are they adding fear as fuel to a highly combustible world? As part of the battleground for an information war, journalists must move beyond the propaganda, speculation and alarmism that breed anger, mistrust, fear and hatred.
Dissent Silenced, Secrets Accepted
The International Federation of Journalists surveyed 20 countries and found widespread concerns over press freedom and new antiterrorism laws that
threaten freedom of speech. "Dangerous conditions" is the excuse by Pakistani authorities for keeping foreign journalists off the streets. The U.S/U.K. lockdown on military reporting continues, with even Congress kept in the dark. And the frontlines are in a country where, Reporters sans Frontieres reported last year, no press freedom exists.
In the United States, sweeping new police powers have been signed into law
with little public debate, and the Bush administration pushes old goals
(such as military treaties and deals with Russia and China, "fast-track"
trade law, tax cuts, rejection of an International Criminal Court) under
the urgency of the current crisis. Certainly Americans need to know how to
handle suspicious mail, but as this conflict transforms an already plummeting
economy and the shifting rule of law, that is not all the information we
need.
Investigative journalism showed its strength last week when the New York
Daily News uncovered government documentation of toxic pollution around the World Trade Center site (chilling news to those who live near by and had not been warned by officials), yet Attorney General Ashcroft's weakening of Freedom of Information Laws has gotten little notice. In this
post-September 11 world, has security become an excuse for secrecy? Will a desire to support the war effort keep dissent out of Congress and public debates, stifling critical coverage?
The Media Respond
Press freedom and journalists' groups are raising alarms about threats to
freedom of speech and freedom of information. Many MediaChannel affiliates
have launched projects to monitor and resist censorship, while others are
exposing misinformation and demanding facts. Groups such as Media Workers Against War, the Independent Media Centers and Reporting The World believe in a journalism that can inspire or advocate for peaceful solutions. Our network continues to produce insightful analysis and ask provocative questions, and we continue to bring you the best of their work.
Please share your comments and feedback in the Forum.
— Aliza Dichter (editor@mediachannel.org), editor
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