Thread: Press Censorship?

For months, the Free Gaza Movement (http://www.freegaza.org) has been planning on sailing two ships from Cyprus to Gaza to break the Israeli blockade. They are expected to leave Saturday. I support it and anyone who has an opinion about it is welcome to express it. There's just one curious thing: a search in Google News brings up 77 articles about the planned voyage and NOT ONE in a US newspaper. Is it that no one is interested or is the subject being censored because the American media are so pro-Israel? Any comments?

I would say that part of it is that nobody here would really care in that it would probably be seen as somewhat irrelevant because nothing will really change. For example, I'm sure there are plenty of people protesting nuclear power plants, but its "old" news that doesn't really matter anymore because nuclear power is pretty much here to stay.

The other reason would probably be that the news here needs to be a little dramatic and sensational to sell. With many 24 hour cable news networks and the internet, there is a lot of competition among them, so they all push the "grand" stories or try to create them.

The US is also a lot more inward facing than Europe. You'll see BBC news stories about African current events that are nowhere on the radar here. That's always been the case and is a part of the American character/culture.

There wouldn't be any censorship. If an incident were to occur, then it would be story worth selling.

This is just what I'm thinking of off the top of my head.

Jordan

If there's any kind of censorship going on, it's not direct.

Maybe the Newspaper editors/NewsChannel operators put pressure on the journalists etc. to stay away from things like that until something undeniably newsworthy happens. But I doubt that there are journalists writing stories only to have them trashed by the big wigs of whatever organization they work for.

As Jordan said, Americans want sensational news and stories that make today sound like the most important day in the history of the world or something.

That's why I don't get the newspaper anymore, the internet is better and I already pay for it.

Originally Posted by jnich67

There wouldn't be any censorship. If an incident were to occur, then it would be story worth selling.

Well, if the ship reaches Israeli/Gazan waters something is bound to happen. The ships are expected to leave Saturday and the crossing should take 1-2 days. I'm going to watch the news to see if there's any coverage at all in the US.

Originally Posted by Chimensch

Well, if the ship reaches Israeli/Gazan waters something is bound to happen. The ships are expected to leave Saturday and the crossing should take 1-2 days. I'm going to watch the news to see if there's any coverage at all in the US.

Well, if the something bound to happen will involve explosions, killin, blood, guts and tragedy and sticking the cameras as close to the wailing survivors as possible.........I can virtually assure you that the U.S. media will cover it. And, they'll do their best to show the horrific gore at times that are most likely to reach viewers between the ages of 1-90.

That's why I barely watch TV and watch even less "news". "News", give me a break.

Chris L

Originally Posted by Chimensch

Is it that no one is interested or is the subject being censored because the American media are so pro-Israel? Any comments?

I think I speak for most Americans when I say, "meh."

That answer your question? Seriously, that region of the world hasn't been able to play nice and get along since the dawn of recorded history. The fact that some other conflict may possibly occur as the result of some action there is so completely not newsworthy. When the bodycount breaks one hundred, American papers might carry the story. If one of the boats is sunk, American papers might carry the story. Otherwise, not really newsworthy. I don't necessarily think that the way the system works in good, but that's the way it works whether I like it or not.

Whats newsworthy about an event that hasn't happened yet? The ships will enter Israels territorial waters be asked to turn around, they will refuse, then the Israelis will stop the ships, arrest everyone on board then impound the boats. That just isn't news. If something else happens it might be news but if the ships are in Israels waters, disobey the Navy and get sunk it still isn't news.

DO you know how many Greenpeace boats have been sunk this year? Neither do I, they break maritime laws and get sunk, no one cares.

Today, Google came up with ONE US media source for the Gaza blockade story:

Americans Sail to Gaza to Challange Isreali Siege | FSRN

From Free Speech Radio News, part of the Pacifica group, a generally far-left (by US standards) source.

I am somewhat surprised that those who have posted so far do not feel that this story is newsworthy. It is very newsworthy to me and anyone else who feels strongly about the Israeli government's harsh treatment of Gaza and the West Bank. I can't be the only one.

Originally Posted by Chimensch

It is very newsworthy to me and anyone else who feels strongly about the Israeli government's harsh treatment of Gaza and the West Bank. I can't be the only one.

emphasis mine.

You pretty much summed it up right there. I'd be willing to be dollars against pesos that 99% or more of the American populace doesn't care. I sure don't. It's way way WAY outside of my monkeysphere. Not my fight, not my business, not even mildly interesting. Guess that makes me some sort of isolationist monster, but you can bet your bottom euro that most Americans feel kinda similar.

Originally Posted by jockeys

emphasis mine.

You pretty much summed it up right there. I'd be willing to be dollars against pesos that 99% or more of the American populace doesn't care. I sure don't. It's way way WAY outside of my monkeysphere. Not my fight, not my business, not even mildly interesting. Guess that makes me some sort of isolationist monster, but you can bet your bottom euro that most Americans feel kinda similar.

Yet, as an American taxpayer, you are paying for it ... or maybe you didn't know that Israel receives US economic and military aid worth $3 billion a year. Along with Egypt, Israel receives the most US foreign aid of any country in the world.