- Joined
- Jul 6, 2005
- Messages
- 18,930
- Reaction score
- 1,040
- Location
- HBCA
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Very Liberal
If you want to hear an un-biased news report, forget it! They are all biased in some form or another. But there is another way to find out how biased the media is. The reaction of Iraqi viewers to American-style news. In this thread, it is Iraq's version of Fox News, 60 Minutes, 20/20, etc. I find it very interesting what this average Iraqi citizen has to say about American television programming.
A first reaction to American Media
In the words of John Trudell, here begins "the mining" of the viewers' thoughts.
The Factor, with Bill Omar[ley]
They seem to be quicker at spotting the lies and dis-information than we are. Remember, they've only been watching a couple of years.
The actual point of this thread. American Media bias from a non-American, non-mindless, non-flag-waving, non-neocon.
Our final thought on Fridays show. And its a good one.
The entire article can be found at the site below.
http://www.activistsreader.com/articles folder/riverbend-american-media.html
Anyone care to debate why we should bomb them with American Media.
A first reaction to American Media
Iraqi viewer...
Two years ago, the major part of the war in Iraq was all about bombarding us with smart bombs and high-tech missiles. Now there’s a different sort of war -- or perhaps it’s just another phase of the same war. Now we’re being assailed with American media. It’s everywhere all at once.
In the words of John Trudell, here begins "the mining" of the viewers' thoughts.
Iraqi viewer...
With satellite access we are constantly listening to American music and watching American sitcoms and movies. To be fair -- it’s not just Iraq that is being targeted; it’s the whole region and it’s all being done very cleverly.
The Factor, with Bill Omar[ley]
Iraqi viewer...
Al-Hurra, the purported channel of freedom, is the American gift to the Arab world. What they do is show us translated documentaries about certain historical events (American documentaries) or about movie stars (American stars) or vacation spots. Throughout this, there are Arab anchors giving us the news (which is like watching Fox in Arabic). It’s news about the Arab world with the American twist.
They seem to be quicker at spotting the lies and dis-information than we are. Remember, they've only been watching a couple of years.
Iraqi viewer...
Our new “national” channels are a joke. One of the most amusing, in a gruesome sort of way, is Al-Iraqiya. It’s said to be American-sponsored but the attitude is decidedly pro-Iran, anti-Sunni. There’s a program where they parade "‘terrorists" on screen for us to see in an attempt to show us that our National Guard are not only good at raiding homes and harassing people in the streets.
The funny thing about the terrorists is that the majority of them have “Sunni” names like Omar and Othman, etc. They admit to doing things such as having sexual intercourse in mosques and raping women and the whole show is disgusting. Iraqis don’t believe it because it’s so obviously produced to support the American definition of the Iraqi, Sunni, Islamic fanatic that it is embarrassing. Couldn’t the PSYOPS people come up with anything more subtle?
The actual point of this thread. American Media bias from a non-American, non-mindless, non-flag-waving, non-neocon.
Iraqi viewer...
I’ve been enchanted with the shows these last few weeks. The thing that strikes me most is the fact that the news is so… clean. It’s like hospital food. It’s all organized and disinfected. Everything is partitioned and you can feel how it has been doled out carefully with extreme attention to the portions -- two minutes on women’s rights in Afghanistan, one minute on training troops in Iraq and twenty minutes on Terri Schiavo! All the reportages are upbeat and somewhat cheerful, and the anchor person manages to look properly concerned and completely uncaring all at once.
About a month ago, we were treated to an interview on 20/20 with Sabrina Harman -- the witch in some of the Abu Ghraib pictures. You know- -- the one smiling over faceless, naked Iraqis piled up to make a human pyramid. Elizabeth Vargus was doing the interview and the whole show was revolting. They were trying to portray Sabrina as an innocent who was caught up in military orders and fear of higher ranking officers. The show went on and on about how American troops never really got seminars on Geneva Conventions (like one needs to be taught humanity) and how poor Sabrina was being made a scapegoat. They showed the restaurant where she worked before the war and how everyone thought she was “such a nice person” who couldn’t hurt a fly!
We sat there watching like we were a part of another world, in another galaxy. I’ve always sensed from the various websites that American mainstream news is far-removed from reality. I just didn’t know how far. Everything is so tame and simplified. Everyone is so sincere.
Our final thought on Fridays show. And its a good one.
Iraqi viewer...
Furthermore, I don’t understand the world's fascination with reality shows. Survivor, The Bachelor, Murder in Small Town X, Faking It, The Contender… it’s endless. Is life so boring that people need to watch the conjured up lives of others?
I have a suggestion of my own for a reality show. Take 15 Bush supporters and throw them in a house in the suburbs of, say, Falloojeh for at least 14 days. We could watch them cope with the water problems, the lack of electricity, the check points, the raids, the Iraqi National Guard, the bombings, and -- oh yeah -- the "insurgents." We could watch their house bombed to the ground and their few belongings crushed under the weight of cement and brick or simply burned or riddled with bullets. We could see them try to rebuild their life with their bare hands (and the equivalent of $150)…
I’d not only watch *that* reality show, I’d tape every episode
The entire article can be found at the site below.
http://www.activistsreader.com/articles folder/riverbend-american-media.html
Anyone care to debate why we should bomb them with American Media.