Discrimination in Journalism...

[weemadando]

A quote from one of the British press liason officers to a French journalist asking when he and other European journalists will be allowed to take a tour of southern Iraq like the Brit and American journalists have:

"Your journalists will have the same amount of access as you have troops on the ground."

There have also been reports of a general censoring by omission by American and British forces of the journalists from nations not part of the "coalition".

[Joe]

*sniffle*

Oh well, I don't think they ought to be censored, but actions have consequences.

[jegs2]

Er ... isn't this posted twice?

[Master of Ossus]

I think it says something that their journalists are only NOW requesting permission to enter Iraq. Before this, they were willing to let American, British, Australian, and Arab reporters take all the risks. Now that most of the fighting is over, they want to get in and look at... the war zone? Baghdad? Kurdish-controlled territory? No. They want to look at SOUTHERN Iraq, allowing journalists from other nations to take all the risks while they sit on their notepads looking at tracks in the desert.

These French reporters have been cowards, and they haven't been professional in doing their jobs. Their DUTY is to cover the story, wherever that is. The war in Iraq is the biggest news story going on, right now. They have no excuses that it might have come as a surprise to them, as it's been brewing for MONTHS, and has actually been going on for two weeks, now. That they would ignore it until this time, when significant tracts of the country are under Coalition control, demonstrates SPECTACULAR disregard for their duty, and cowardice when push comes to shove.

[Darth Wong]

Come on now, how could you expect the French to go in before now? Until someone's in firm control of the nation, they don't know who to surrender to!

[MKSheppard]

Serves 'em fucking right, BLAHAHAHAHAH

Even the freaking POLES are sending SF to the area

[Marc Xavier]

A quote from one of the British press liason officers to a French journalist asking when he and other European journalists will be allowed to take a tour of southern Iraq like the Brit and American journalists have:

"Your journalists will have the same amount of access as you have troops on the ground."

There have also been reports of a general censoring by omission by American and British forces of the journalists from nations not part of the "coalition".

I wouldn't be particularly surprised or put off by an attitude like that. The Americans and the British are dealing with an enemy that's fairly proficient in propaganda. I don't think there's any such thing as indiscriminate journalism.

And as appropriate or inappropriate as that individual's comment may have been . . . I can kind of see where he's coming from. After all, the US and the Brits aren’t exactly on the best of terms with France or anything, after they did everything in their power to block military action in Iraq. I think it's similar to countries like France, Germany, and Russia lobbying for direct opportunities to enter into commercial agreements with the "new Iraq" once the British and the Americans send their sons and daughters to die to create the "new Iraq."

Whether you agree with the war or not, you have to recognize the kind of "to the victor goes the spoils" attitude.

[Master of Ossus]

Whether you agree with the war or not, you have to recognize the kind of "to the victor goes the spoils" attitude.

It's more than that, though. Where the fuck were these French journalists two weeks ago, when the shooting started? They were sitting in France, not covering the largest news story in the world at the time. Where the fuck were they when the Americans and British crossed the border? Where the fuck were they when British forces began their attacks on Basra? Where were they when the Iraqis were firing missiles at Kuwait City? Where were they when American forces began crossing the Tigris and Euphrates? Where were they when the skies in Baghdad started raining high explosives? Why aren't they ALREADY there, now?

Even now, they're not going to Baghdad or Tikrit or Northern Iraq to cover the fighting. They want to go to SOUTHERN Iraq, where most of the Iraqis have already been rooted out, and the area is relatively safe. What the FUCK kind of a job are they doing? Meanwhile, my colleagues from the US, Britain, Australia, Egypt, Lebanon, and dozens of other nations are risking their lives (and others have already given theirs) to bring people the coverage of the war on television, while the French are sitting back and watching CNN to put reports in their papers the next day? What kind of coverage is this?

[David]

There have also been reports of a general censoring by omission by American and British forces of the journalists from nations not part of the "coalition".

How so?

[The Yosemite Bear]

Damn journelists expect it to be easy today. get sound bite, get the photo op, if we missed the real thing demand someone redo it for you. Completely forgetting all that great footage folks in their profession have DIED for. cut down in the waves at D-Day, shot during Tet, Machinegunned at Jonestown, massacured during the Congo wars. Disappearing in El Salvador.

get real, when I was in college the ethics teacher said, no shot is worth your life, but some of the best shots in history have cost people theres.