Media Bias at its Worst

There is unfortunately no shortage of media bias against Israel, and trying to point out every example is an almost impossible task (although I must commend the likes of Honest Reporting, and its weblog Backspin, for their tireless efforts). However, I do want to highlight a particularly insidious example of media bias, emanating from Richard Carleton of Australia’s 60 Minutes.

 

For those who are not already familar with Carleton, he is like an Australian version of Robert Fisk. When reporting the Middle East conflict, he makes no effort to even hide his bias. (For an example of his previous “work”, see here).

 

Last week’s 60 Minutes program ran a Carleton story entitled The Great Divide. In it, Carleton bends over backwards to paint Israel as the villain, and the PLO Arabs as the victims. In the process, he makes a mockery of any so-called journalism code of ethics or standards.

 

Here are some examples of how he does this.

 

Lying/Hiding Important Facts: Example 1

Last week, Israeli soldiers shot dead a 13-year-old Palestinian schoolgirl they wrongly thought was carrying a bomb. Then, an Israeli officer approached the body and fired another 20 bullets into the child at point-blank range

While there was a claim that this did occur, an IDF investigation has so far cast great doubt over this version of events, a fact Carleton conveniently leaves out.

A squad led by the company commander left the post to confront the suspected gunmen, and shot the figure which was then identified as a girl. Simultaneously, the force was fired upon from the Rafah area; a weapon belonging to one of the soldiers was hit by the fire. The force returned fire and retreated to the post.

 

The investigation found fault with the operational performance, in that the figure was not spotted earlier, in the quad leaving the post and in the operational judgment used due to the threats in the area.

 

Following the serious allegations regarding the company commander’s functioning, his behavior and action were investigated closely.  

 

The investigation did not find that the company or the company commander had acted unethically during the incident. When the company commander was approaching the suspicious figure he noticed bullets at his side and shot towards the ground as he moved back.

 

The investigation concluded that the behavior of the company commander from an ethical point of view does not warrant his removal from his position. If a military police investigation will find otherwise he will be relieved from of any command duty.

 

Nonetheless, the investigation found failures in the company commander’s ability to command and in his relations with his subordinates.

(The above findings were available October 15th, while Carleton’s report aired on October 17th).

 

Lying/Hiding Important Facts: Example 2

That’s the Israeli settlement of Netzarim. Remember the place where the soldiers shot dead the boy in his father’s arms?

Carleton is speaking of Mohammed al-Dura, the 12 year-old boy supposedly shot by IDF soldiers as he crouched down in fear with his father, caught between the IDF and PLO Arab terrorists. Real doubts have been cast about his being killed by the IDF; and even some as to whether he was killed at all. Another fact conveniently omitted by Carleton.

 

Invoking Holocaust Imagery

In stinking heat and in single file, men, women and children are searched as they go to work, go to the doctor, go to the shops and go home again. Herded like cattle, it’s humiliating.

RICHARD CARLETON: All they want to do is stop the soldiers beating up the Palestinians. What’s wrong with that?

 

WOMAN 2: Have you seen that when you’re not with a camera from Australia there? Have you seen them screaming at the soldiers saying that they’re Nazis? Have you been there?

 

RICHARD CARLETON: But if they’re acting like the Nazis

Read the whole transcript for more evidence of his unashamed bias.

 

If you want to contact 60 Minutes to let them know what you think, follow the instructions here.

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