August 27, 2004

David who? I haven't seen the hearing of Australian David Hicks, accused of terrorism, covered by American media much at all. Considering it's got (more) claims of abuse against the guards at Camp X-Ray, detainment for 2 years without charges being laid, and other media favourites, why hasn't it received more US coverage?

...Or have I just missed most of it? Perhaps it's just geographical bias, with each media looking after its own demographic, but I still find it surprising that only Australian news sources seem to be covering such an obvious case of injustice. Guilty or innocent, wtf are liberal democracies doing holding people without trial? Note: don't want to start a 'freedom for all' vs 'kill all suspected terrorists' discussion...just interested in the selective coverage. Do Canadian monkeys notice a similar thing with their civilians held in Hotel Gitmo?

posted by cephalophile 20 years ago
  • After "Kangaroo Jack", the American Media decided it was better to ignore Australia entirely. Either that, or they're too scared shitless to report on anything going on in U.S.American Concentration Camps without pictures.
  • Because the American media has no interest in the truth and even less interest in seriously investigating the actions of this administration. The American media will never ask questions that cannot be answered in 5 words or less. International coverage on the nightly news is usually less than 5 minutes out of the 30 minutes they pretend to cover things with. With that coverage they tell the American people what matters and what doesn’t. The only thing that matters to the news corporations is advertising revenue. A large enough portion of the public is dumb enough to believe that the news corporation don’t care about advertising revenues and, hence, believe that what is being reported to them matters. In short: American news media is a joke and follow the propaganda model to a tee. Yes, I am an American.
  • Wrong. American media has some issues but is by far the freest in the world. A large portion of the public is as smart as people anywhere else. The corporations are naturally driven by profit, but the only other option is government-controlled media a la USSR or KSA. Yes I am an American too. "Yahoo Serious film festival? I know those words, but that sign doesnt make any sense?"
  • drjimmy11: American media...is by far the freest in the world. 'Free' perhaps in terms of regulation, but that simply means ownership (and therefore direction of what stories etc. to run with) are homogenized under an oligarchy of media giants (the most obvious of which is, strangely, an Australian). 'Freedom of media' also means 'freedom to be overtaken by corporate interests'. I'm not blaming them, but simply saying it's different from 'the public interest'. As for the only other option being government-controlled media a-la totalitarian regimes, you seem to ignore the middle ground which most of the world operates under: one in which oligarchies or cross-media ownership is discouraged, for example. "I'd like a coffee." "One beer, coming up." (We could get that whole episode into this thread!)
  • The Oregonian, which is not online, is covering it. Just fyi.
  • PF: The Oregonian, which is not online, is covering it. Just fyi. Yes it is! (fyi) But thanks for the update...I didn't consider the effect timezones may have on reporting.
  • Wrong. American media has some issues but is by far the freest in the world. Back that up with facts please.
  • *shakes head* The allegations of child abuse at Abu Ghraib barely made a blip. Yet you're curious why we're not reporting the unjust treatment of an adult who's not a citizen? Sad to say, it ain't gonna happen. The short answer: the US media has been cowed by the Bushies for quite awhile, and is only now beginning to find its testicles. They won't fully report everything until it's all history.
  • American trampolines are by far the bounciest in the world, and have the most pronounced democracy-enhancing effects.
  • Finally! Somebody admits it's true! Now 'fess up, you really prefer our beer and television shows, don't you? They make you feel somehow freer, don't they?
  • American drink-holders hold drinks far better than non-American drink-holders.
  • i did a Nexis search of "all american news," which covers newspapers, magazines, wire services other periodicals, there've been 570 mentions of david hicks in the last six months. just FYI.
  • Oops. I actually checked that link but it wasn't working, so I assumed it was only the classifieds online, why I don't know, sorry
  • America: It's the Cheese!
  • drjimmy11: Outside of calling me "wrong" the only rebuttal you made against my comment was "...A large portion of the public is as smart as people anywhere else...". In response I would ask you why the rest of the world's media doesn't seem to suffer from the same degree of selective coverage that America does. That, after all, is the basis for this entire thread.
  • you really prefer our beer This is the maddest thing I have read all day.