Click on the title for the link to this short Op-Ed piece by the Baltimore Sun, via the IHT. But since it is so short, here it is in its entirety:
BALTIMORE: The Russian government says it will kick ABC-TV out of the country because it had the effrontery to show an interview with the Chechen rebel leader, Shamil Basayev, who has been behind some of the bloodiest and most humiliating episodes in Russia's war to retain the breakaway republic.
Whether you agree with the Chechen cause or not, their tactics have been despicable. The separate takeovers of the theater and the school were acts of terror, plain and simple. Anytime a group targets innocents, it qualifies them for terrorist status.
ABC has pointed out that showing an interview with someone is not an endorsement.
It may not be an endorsement. But, when a news agency grants an interview with a terrorist from any country, it gives that terrorist and his movement more credibility than it deserves. Not only does it gives them an over-inflated sense of importance, but it makes them believe in their own minds that what they are doing is noble, and presents their distorted views as a valid rationale for their murderous deeds. In short, it emboldens them further.
Expelling a news organization as a matter of national policy is wrong.
Not if their irresponsible reporting runs a risk of giving aid and comfort to an enemy that has already demonstrated, they are hell bent on destroying their country.
Remember, ABC is not a Russian news agency, but an American organization and they are guests in that country. Besides that, no other foreign agency has been kicked out as a result of this story, only the one that was responsible for this irresponsible act of journalism.
Russian officials are angry because they've been trying to find Basayev for years. The freelance reporter who did find him, Andrei Babitsky, has infuriated the Kremlin with his reports from Chechnya. The Kremlin has brought most of the Russian press to heel through intimidation and blackmail; now it's trying to punish a foreign news operation. There's a pattern here, and it's an ugly one.
Equating the crackdown on the Russian news media with expelling a foreign news agency for irresponsible journalism, is the Baltimore Sun's faulty way of excusing its own past misjudgements.
While the crackdown on its own media is deplorable and significantly sets back basic freedoms in Russia, it remains their sovereign right to expel any foreign agency that practices this type of journalism, especially when safety and security are at stake. It's not like they expelled NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox, the BBC, et al. They kicked out the guilty party and only the guilty party.
14 comments:
Gindy,
That's why I don't blame them.
LA Sunsett,
Thanks for stopping by my immigration article. I've been wanting to take on the topic, which is a very serious one, but the WMAL/CAIR flap is a local story for me, so I've recently been hot on that one.
I've noticed this Russia-boots-ABC-story elsewhere (That's not to say that I'm deprecating your analysis, which is excellent). You are so correct when you say,"While the crackdown on its own media is deplorable and significantly sets back basic freedoms in Russia, it remains their sovereign right to expel any foreign agency that practices this type of journalism, especially when safety and security are at stake." What happened in Beslan was an atrocity--terrorists slaugthering schoolchildren. And Basayev has been behind some very bloody events in Russia. Giving known terrorists is journalistic irresponsibility--and worse.
WMAL is also ABC-owned. I don't much like the latest developments with ABC, both with WMAl and with what just happened in Russia. I fully understand why the Russian government has taken the step of booting ABC.
He's not a nice man by any stretch.
Like most decent Media outlets they are right not to sensor anybody..
can you imagine if we lived in 'fox world' where all debates only ever take place between the far right and the moderate right ,
even al-jazeera allows the views of the other side to be heard (the other side to them being bush and blair)
if this was a fair and just world then we could equally claim the russian treatment of the chechens has been as barbaric and twisted as the 'terrorists' they are fighting
H,
Thanks for visiting my blog.
"can you imagine if we lived in 'fox world' where all debates only ever take place between the far right and the moderate right ,"
We don't live in a Fox world and Russia only kicked out ABC. They didn't kick out any other news service. If in the future they do, then I will change my stance. But for now, I can't blame them for being upset that ABC coddled a guy that was responsible for killing innocent children.
If he wants to fight the Russian system for freedom, or whatever, have the guts to fight the police or military. Leave the innocent children alone.
free press is a double edged sword. The difference in Russia is that Putin does what our government would do if they wouldnt get eatin up the the hyenas (spelling?).
The Russian army maintained at least four major concentration camps which were used to detain Chechens. At least one, known as PAP-1, held up to 1,500 Chechens, many of whom were never seen again. A makeshift incinerator cremated four or five bodies at a time. "A central torture room inside the building still remains much as it was during the war, with a large metal rack with blood stained spikes and steel cables hanging from the walls. On one wall, it is still visible where a Chechen under detention wrote his name in blood. Blood stains on the floors and walls are highly visible throughout the facility
it seems your being very selective
if you want to sensor one side then you should sensor all
should we sensor the american press as they are willing to interview bush and he is responsible for the death of tens of thousands many of which are children
free press is a vital factor of a democracy .
to show someones opinion is not to endorse it
H, I didnt say it should be done away with, just that it was a double edged sword. It comes with its share of headache and curses.
My point wasn't really aimed at your comment G , i agree it has it's problems but without complete freedom of press you can't claim to have a democracy
my point is still more on the choice to ban abc from russia , when the russian crimes are equally barbaric
H,
Nowhere in my post did I ever say that Russia was guiltless. I know Russia's history well, and have no disagreement with what you have to say about that. Trust me, I am no fan of Russia.
But where do you draw the line?
Do you say that just because Russia was guilty of great sins against the Chechens (and others), it is okay to kill innocent children that made no such decisions to kill or torture Chechens? Two wrongs do not make a right.
And what makes you think banning ABC, constitutes censorship? The remaining networks that weren't banned, aren't being censored. Neither is ABC for that matter, they can still write what they want. They just can't do it in Russia.
You are right, about Russia. You are right about the free press being a vital institution in the cause of liberty and democracy. I always tread lightly on that subject, because I cherish my freedom.
But I disagree with your analysis of this event (as it applies to whether or not this is censorship). I believe that any country has the right to ban a certain network that is aiding and abetting a sworn enemy of that nation.
G is right, it is a double-edged sword. But as for me, I prefer to err on the side of caution.
your point is respected , in the main i think we agree but on the rest i agree to disagree
nice blog btw
Thank you H. You are welcome here anytime.
And just so you know, I will check your blog out soon. Right now I am under the gun and I am limited on time until tomorrow night.
thank you .. feel free to pop in any time
if you dont get time then no problem .
i found your from G's site .. i often rant at him :o)
so thanks G for the link
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