Showing all posts in June 2019

Reporters Without Borders has released its fourth annual World Press Freedom Index. The results are generally unsurprising. North Korea, Iraq, Burma, Libya and Uzbekistan all remain deeply undemocratic. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Netherlands and Switzerland remain top of the list. Australia is 31st, well below Lithuania, Benin, Cyprus, El Salvador and a host of…

All mainstream journalists swallowed pre-war lies over Iraq and WMD? All reporters more than happy to provide cover for government “insiders” and official “leaks?” Journalists keen to see themselves as fighters of truth and democracy? Nearly. There were some notable exceptions, however, and they should be saluted. The media has taken a justified hit both…

– Murdoch’s Australian thinks anyone who questions the Howard government’s proposed anti-terror laws is “idiotic.” Only a propagandist – or groups with a vested political and financial interest – would not question such extreme measures. – A BBC “analyst” is hurt by allegations in Robert Fisk’s new book. – Guardian journalist Rory Carroll has been…

Chris McGreal, Guardian, October 20 “The Israeli military has blocked Palestinians from driving on the main artery through the West Bank in a first step towards what Israeli human rights groups say is total “road apartheid” being enforced throughout the occupied territory. “The army sealed off access to Route 60 after the fatal shooting of…

Amira Hass, Haaretz, October 20: “The IDF’s Central Command has decided to cancel the military escort for Palestinian children on their way to school in the south of Hebron, Haaretz has learned. “The military escort, which was introduced about a year ago, protected the children from repeated attacks by Israeli settlers near the Maon and…

Tell me I’m dreaming: Stewart: “It’s true we add insult to injury…but you add the injury” O’Reilly: “There’s a lot of bad people out there and it’s our job to go after them.” Stewart: “So when are you going to start?”

“The perception that this is a US-backed court, a product of a US-led occupation, is only one of the challenges Iraq’s Special Tribunal faces. Saddam’s lawyer has already set one of his first actions will be to seek an adjournment to allow the defence to bring its preparation up to a standard closer to that…

The risks of reporting from Iraq are revealed again today with news that Rory Carroll, Guardian correspondent in Baghdad, has been kidnapped. Alan Rusbridger, the Guardian’s editor, said: “We’re deeply concerned at Rory’s disappearance. He is in Iraq as a professional journalist – and he’s a very good, straight journalist whose only concern is to…

We rarely hear about Latin America, except the almost obligatory bashing of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and American attempts to assassinate him. When Chavez recently spoke at the 60th UN General Assembly, his words resonated – despite his questionable human rights record: “We the people now claim – this is the case of Venezuela –…

My latest New Matilda column is about the recent Australian tour of journalist Robert Fisk: “[Fisk and I] discussed the media coverage of his visit. He was interviewed on ABC PM, ABC Lateline and for The Age. From what I could make out of Shaun Carney’s interview for The Age, he seemed almost uncertain how…