Tuesday, August 25, 2009

News Check

Longer critiques of specific stories on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, or Weekend Edition Saturday/Sunday programs.
Posted by Mytwords at 5:35 AM
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4 comments:

GRUMPY DEMO said...

Here's my first effort (hope it helps MyTwords heal.

On today's Morning Edition report: CIA Report Leaves Much To The Imagination by Dina Temple-Raston.

It was NPR stenography at its finest:
-Only two sources both ex-CIA and no critics or human rights experts;
-Ignores the CIA's recent lies and suppression of evidence.
-Soft pedals the extent and type of torture.

The report starts with a Steve Inskeep intro that NPR is “little suspicious” of the CIA? There’s no evidence of that in this report.

Less that 48 hours after the CIA releases a “new” redacted report, because IN THE PRIOR RELEASE OF THE SAME REPORT THE CIA USED REDACTION TO HIDE NUMEROUS ACTS OF TORTURE (sorry for the shouting) and statements by it’s own interrogators that knew they were violating US and International Law. Ignoring this still warm “smoking gun” in the hand of the CIA that it can’t be trusted. NPR reports, based on its interviews with a Bushie CIA lawyer and “others” (WhoTF?) that the CIA can really, really be trusted and that it doesn’t use redaction to cover up it misdeeds. Yeah, and Dick Cheney never said Iraq was involved in 9-11.

If a former Bush/Cheney staffer and unidentified “others” says trust the CIA, that’s good enough for NPR: our reporter appear to have been in a coma for the past six years, hint: “Slam Dunk”, “Downing Street Memo”, Adu Grave, anyone.

Wow, the only people she interviews are CIA apologists, typical for NPR torture coverage, never let a critic or human rights advocate in the room.

Also, NPR contiunes to minimize the torture and violation US an International Laws. At no time does NPR cite that the prior report's redaction concealed the following:

threats of execution:
-threats to kill detainee and his children:
-pressure points on carotid artery:
-threats to rape detainee's female relatives in front of him:
-"Buttstroking" with rifles and knee kicks:
-More "convincing and poignant" waterboarding of the type we prosecuted Japanese war criminals;
-Numerous detainee deaths and other abuses.

(Thanks to Glenn Greenwald continuing excellent coverage:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/08/24/ig_report/index.html)

Journalism is not performing stenography for the CIA and Cheney.

8/27/09, 8:38 AM
JayV said...

NPR posted this AP report on its website: 'Military monitoring reporters' work in Afghan war' I haven't heard NPR actually report on this in ME or ATC.

The Stars and Stripes report from yesterday: Files prove Pentagon is profiling reporters And there's an update today from S&S: Pentagon: Reporter profiling under review I wonder how the Pentagon has rated the NPR reporters in the AfPak and Iraqi wars. Earlier this week Schiller, in speaking to a North Country Radio public forum in Saranac Lake, NY, praised the presence of NPR's reporters there, as one of a few media represented there with actual reporters.

All this of course brings up questions about the use of embedded reporters.

Just now (this morning) on DN! there's extensive coverage of this. You'll be able to listen to the program on line later today.

8/28/09, 7:19 AM
JayV said...

Oops, I see now NPR did about a 3 minute report on ATC yesterday afternoon: Pentagon Rated Reporters' Work In Afghanistan

8/28/09, 7:40 AM
GRUMPY DEMO said...

Can't help my self, it's an addicton, right MYTWords?

This AM's ME was dreadful, where to start?

Well there's the Inskeep/Davidson hit piece on Congerssman Frank for not embracing NPR's nonsensical belief in GOPartisianship, something it had NO concern about during the hyper partisan Bush years. It's the Beltway's curios belief that the winning party after an election has to ask the losing side for permission every time it want to take action.

But the best came latter, when Adam Davidson, NPR's Premier Business reporter, admits he doesn't have a clue about how the worse economic downturn since the Great Depression occurred? Really Adam? Really?

Here's some clues:

Was it Colonel Goldman on Wall Street with toxic assets?

Maybe, it could have been Dr. Enron in the stock market with cooked accounting?

Perhaps, Mrs. AIG with seductive CDO dropping more than a trillion dollars in the housing market?

Better yet, Professor Bush with no regulation in the Oval Office.

Looks like NPR can't handle the truth, that the core economic policies of the GOP were a failure: Who could have know that borrowing from the Treasury to give the wealthy top 1% billions in tax cuts during two wars won't work?

Maybe just maybe, Adam should just rethink his embracing of supply-side, Free Market, deregulation dogma its call "reality's Liberal bias" and next time rather than yell at Dr. Elizabeth Warren because she isn't a Freeper, he should listen. He might learn something, . . . one can dream.

8/28/09, 9:13 AM

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