The Media's Nauseating Approach to Terror Reporting

March 7th, 2008 3:25 PM

NewsBusters.org | Media Research Center
The Media, as Sisyphus, Unwinding its Terror Tale

There is a push by the Jurassic Press -- in two directions at once -- to frame just-so their presentation of the murder and murderers engaged in the attempted global implementation of political Islam.

One such shove was again demonstrated by the New York Times this past February 13th. The Media attempt to present these bits of human flotsam -- and their family members and friends -- in the most sympathetic of possible lights. The Times portrayal of the mourning father and grandfather of recently rubbed out Hezbollah serial assassin Imad Mugniyah -- responsible for amongst many other atrocities the 1983 bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut (American death count 241) is nothing more than another attempt to humanize these inhuman creatures.

The other Press effort underway is the minimization of the evil of these acts and actors. There is even a feel to some of these reports that those delivering them almost do not wish to have to do so, but are forced to by circumstances and forces (the Internet, anyone?) beyond their control.

Key facts that would exhibit the depths of barbarism mined by these men (and women and, sadly, their bloodletting-by-proxy children) are left out.

The murder this week of at least eight Israelis in Jerusalem has been widely reported. So too was that they were in a "seminary" when they were gunned down.

What was not delivered was that they were mostly teenagers. And that what they were attending what is in fact a rabinnical school -- in other words, on their way to becoming Rabbis.

Largely ignored also is the claim of "credit" for the assassinations by Hamas, the "Partner in Peace" whose Charter calls for an end to the existence of the Jewish state and whom the Press rigidly insist Israel engage at the bargaining table anyway.

Then there are the semantic games these journalists play. The terrorists aren't terrorists, you see, they are "so-called" terrorists (why not ask their "so-called" victims -- oh wait, you can't). Reuters long ago famously vowed never again to use the "T" word at all.

And these thugs and their deeds are NOT to be linked to Islam -- despite the fact that these actors -- the world over -- are engaged so in its name. To promote diversity and quell division, you see -- the facts be damned.

And there are always hinted at -- if not openly expressed -- justifications by the Media for the wanton carnage. These people are poor, and oppressed, and downtrodden, they say, so their actions are at least understandable, if not indeed forgivable.

Their lives are often quite horrible, to be sure, but sometimes they are not (See: the fabulously wealthy Osama bin Laden). Regardless, sympathetic obfuscation and justification of evil ensures more of the same.

The Media should by now know this far better, but as we have too often seen they do not.