Bias Journalism and Our Evolution

funkygibbon I've read a lot of posts recently from people commenting on bias journalism. Admittedly, I am western and don't know everything or even as much as I would like to know about the deeper details surrounding the Israeli / Palestine conflict. However and more importantly, of course I believe every loss of life is a travesty, particularly in these circumstances, and there is nobody who could rightly argue against that. That said, my point surrounds the fact there are so many people who claim western media is biased towards Israel and represents the whole of Palestine as a country of terrorists. Excuse my language, but thats just bullsh*t. If you go to The Guardian website, a London-based broadsheet newspaper, they give as unbiased a report on what's going on there as possible. They say something bad Israel did, then they say somethign bad Hamas did, then they repeat the process until they've said as much as they can. It's not biased. However, if you then go to Gulf News website, they are completely biased and don't actually tell of any facts other than how terrible Israel is. So I can't begin to imagine how ridiculously biased the Arabic news sources many people get their information from are. Moreover, if that is the only kind of journalism some people have ever known then its no surprise the rest of the world, incorrectly, thinks that the middle-east and many surrounding countries live with blindfolds on. It seems as long as the area someone lives in is ruled by dictatorships and religion, rather than democracy and something you can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell, then that society will cease to evolve. I make no secret that when it comes to faith, whilst i'm respectful of yours, I'm still finding mine. However, my perception is that nobody from the Islamic world cares whether Hamas, Hezbollah, etc are right or wrong, and the more vociferous opinion of this forum's Moslem followers seems uninterested in any discussion regarding the demerits of Hamas' current tactic, but they'd rather blindly argue that Israeli's simply shouldn't be there, so the only answer is to kill each? I reiterate I don't suppport either "side", I support life, and the right to an educated and non-influenced opinion. Which is apparently not a luxury afforded to the people of the vast majority of non-democratic Moslem countries unless they actively choose to pursue it. However, if we are factual, Israel will not be moved any time soon. Although they're people (the vast majority of which didn't choose to be born into that land) will shed a lot of blood - although not as much as Palestinians. What will happen in two or three generations time, when the original settlers in Israel are long gone and those who live there know no different - will they still continue bombing each other? Surely there will come a point where a society needs to evolve with the time, and evolution comes through education. So for as long as one of the largest religions in the world which commands the following of such a vast number of the people living on this single planet (the vast majority of whom live in poverty) then the starting block for peace in the middle east is the cessation of the biased journalism which so many in this part of the world believe is the only source of guidance on what is happening to their Moslem brothers? How many Islamic countries have a democratic government? If a country's ruler makes decisions for its people, and doesn't allow those people access to a full and balanced education, then those rulers are stopping their society's evolution. Your evolution. Del One thing I did notice was, when the Israeli bombing started, Fox News was the ONLY broadcaster to claim that most of the Palestinians killed were enemy combatants. I hate that zionist, neo-con right wing mouthpiece of a channel Flying Dutchman Objectivity in an illusion. Different people have different truths. Alarm bells should start to ring when somebody claims to know THE one and only TRUTH. Del

• Flying Dutchman wrote:
  Objectivity in an illusion. Different people have different truths. Alarm bells should start to ring when somebody claims to know THE one and only TRUTH.

If the BBC, CNN, Sky News, Orbit News, the French and German news channels etc, ALL claim that most of the casualties were civilians, I'll go with the majority.
Did you mean objectivity IS an illusion? Flying Dutchman

• Del wrote:
  
  If the BBC, CNN, Sky News, Orbit News, the French and German news channels etc, ALL claim that most of the casualties were civilians, I'll go with the majority.

Oh, objectivity is a majority vote?

Quote:

• Did you mean objectivity IS an illusion?

Yes, I did. Red Chief In general (not only about Palestine/Israel) US media is much more biased than British one. As a rule BBC try to listen both sides. Contrary CNN make only propaganda, but it's vissible only for people who know the situation not only from Goooogle... Del

• Red Chief wrote:
  In general (not only about Palestine/Israel) US media is much more biased than British one.
  CNN make only propaganda

You can't beat Fox News - they are bloody scary! And that Bill O'Reilly... bedro That was such a long and well informed analysis. I agree with you that evolution is pretty much slowed down when it's always the Ruler's role to make the choices and think on behalf of every citizen in each Muslim nation.
Israel is not the major issue in the Islamic world since there are many more severe ones that need to be resolved. But sadly, a dictator is always in need for an enemy to justify whatever they do as a response to "face" that enemy. And here comes the vital role of Israel. It's not a secret that trade agreements between many of the Arab countries and Israel are existing for years. But to the masses, Israel is still claimed to be the filthy enemy and the biggest danger on All Arabs...
And regarding this:

• funkygibbon wrote:
  However, my perception is that nobody from the Islamic world cares whether Hamas, Hezbollah, etc are right or wrong, and the more vociferous opinion of this forum's Moslem followers seems uninterested in any discussion regarding the demerits of Hamas' current tactic, but they'd rather blindly argue that Israeli's simply shouldn't be there, so the only answer is to kill each?

Things are no longer that simple. A lot of people in the Middle East have already taken off the blindfold years ago. maximusprime

• Red Chief wrote:
  In general (not only about Palestine/Israel) US media is much more biased than British one.
  As a rule BBC try to listen both sides. Contrary CNN make only propaganda, but it's vissible only for people who know the situation not only from Goooogle...

As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. Im american and I never fully understood what a huge influence the media has until i came here and heard a different perspective.
Fox News is evil and it is run by the devil himself who happens to be Australian. That one channel has done more to keep Americans in a state of constant fear than anything else I can think of. Just look at the terror alert guage which is always on the screen and is always in the orange zone implying that things are quiet but 9-11 could happen again at any moment. Del

• maximusprime wrote:
  Fox News is evil and it is run by the devil himself who happens to be Australian. That one channel has done more to keep Americans in a state of constant fear than anything else I can think of. Just look at the terror alert guage which is always on the screen and is always in the orange zone implying that things are quiet but 9-11 could happen again at any moment.

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Red Chief OFF Max, namesake, I didn't want to insult you indeed. We have even more in common - love the same kind of women... :wink: maximusprime

• Red Chief wrote:
  OFF
  Max, namesake,
  I didn't want to insult you indeed. We have even more in common - love the same kind of women... :wink:

Not insulted in the slightest :wink: K-Dog Personally I stopped watching FOX News long time ago. Can't stand that piece of sh*! aka Sean Hannity. I'm so happy about getting MSNBC full time now. I don't know about American media being just propoganda but must admit that it has a very narrow domestic coverage only and the difference I noticed only after watching BBC here which has much wider coverage and broader perspective. But that is because of American mentality though. Most Americans consider the world to be America only. Why do we call domestic baseball and championship the World Series? domestic basketball champions the World Champions etc etc Del

• K-Dog wrote:
  Personally I stopped watching FOX News long time ago. Can't stand that piece of sh*! aka Sean Hannity. I'm so happy about getting MSNBC full time now. I don't know about American media being just propoganda but must admit that it has a very narrow domestic coverage only and the difference I noticed only after watching BBC here which has much wider coverage and broader perspective. But that is because of American mentality though. Most Americans consider the world to be America only. Why do we call domestic baseball and championship the World Series? domestic basketball champions the World Champions etc etc

And what's the % of Americans who own passport?