If people tend to believe things that confirm their beliefs, then it is not that the editors don't want to publish the truth. Instead, and more disturbingly, it's that they publish those things that support their view of the world. (This is true, of course, for everyone, on all sides of the political spectrum.)
This suggests that editors publish things from writers like Mahnaimi b/c what he writes confirms their beliefs. Is Israel planning an imminent nuclear strike against Iran? Sounds reasonable to them. Is Israel developing an ethno-bomb? Sounds reasonable to them.
Conversely, why question whether Hezbollah is hiding among civilians? DOESN'T seem reasonable to them. Might Hezbollah be manipulating the images that are being passed to the editors? DOESN'T seem reasonable to them.
Regardless of whether or not this particular story is true, does anyone NOT think that Israel is actively wargaming a nuke strike on Iran ? The only mystery to me is why such a strike hasn't occurred yet.
Posted at 2007-01-08 08:22:42 [PermaLink]"I understand news reporting is not a science,"
That's the understatement of the year (yeah, I know it's only January) Jon. While the ethno-bomb hasn't been perfected yet, apparently the Israelis invented a death ray that killed Arafat. At least, that's what the Palis say and surely they wouldn't be deranged or lying - would they?
"In the so-called ethno-bomb, he reported, Israeli scientists were trying to exploit medical advances by identifying distinctive genes carried by some Arabs, and then engineer deadly microorganisms that attack only those bearing the distinctive genes."
He's kidding, right? This is pure science fiction.
Journalism of the late 20th century up until now is just intolerable. What happened to the objectivity and professionalism?
Since all other Western powers are too afraid to touch Iran, I hope that Israel has the guts to do something before its too late. We all know what Iran has promised to do. They want to nuke Israel, the US and the rest of the non-Muslim world.
I vaguely remembered that ethno bomb story, but couldn't remember when and where it first appeared until I saw this post.
At the time I remember the slight flaw of a bomb that targets 'arab genes', the fact that jews and arabs are both middle eastern peoples with similar genetics. Even if someone believed Israel was evil enough to do it then it would still be suicidal in any case.
You cannot hope
to bribe or twist
(thank God!) the
British journalist.
But, seeing what
the man will do
unbribed, there’s
no occasion to.
-- Humbert Wolfe (1930)