Hanif on Media » Faux News http://www.hanifonmedia.com News Media, New Media, Politics, Culture & Spiritual Perspectives from South Florida to Infinity. Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:07:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Now, who will lay bare Rupert Murdock’s shenanigans on this side of the pond? http://www.hanifonmedia.com/now-who-will-lay-bare-rupert-murdocks-shenanigans-on-this-side-of-the-pond/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=now-who-will-lay-bare-rupert-murdocks-shenanigans-on-this-side-of-the-pond http://www.hanifonmedia.com/now-who-will-lay-bare-rupert-murdocks-shenanigans-on-this-side-of-the-pond/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:03:32 +0000 admin http://www.hanifonmedia.com/?p=2778 The News of the World debacle is a huge media story — and in typical fashion, our “Fair & Balanced” major news media organizations generally don’t know how to deal with it. Namely, by stating the facts. Such as:
“It seems increasingly likely that the techniques of bullying, coercion, spying, and the politics of personal destruction common at the News of the World were not limited to this one piece of the Murdoch media empire. Even short of hacking, Murdoch’s properties often behave like cults, not news organizations. We have known for a long time that Fox Cable News instructs reporters on how to spin the news and promotes fascist demagogues in the evening magazine shows.” — Professor Juan Cole at Informed Comment: “Is Murdoch’s Media Empire A Cult?”

This week, Murdock tried to head it all off by backing out of his $12 billion BSkyB satellite broadcast takeover bid. Today, the Guardian reported that “A threat of imprisonment by parliament forced Rupert Murdoch and his son James to perform a volte face and agree to give evidence next week to a Commons committee investigating why News International executives provided false information to MPs.”
It couldn’t happen to more deserving guys. As things continue falling apart, here for those just tuning in are a couple of compelling videos that really lay bare the Murdoch mess. 
The first features Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian, who I’ve greatly admired since I first got to know him during our annual international Organization of News Ombudsmen meetings:

The second features Nick Davies, the amazing reporter who refused to take no for a story:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2011/jul/07/news-of-the-world-phone-hacking-nick-davies-rupert-murdoch-video

Now, who will lay bare Murdock’s shenanigans on this side of the pond? Just in from the Guardian: “FBI launches investigation into allegations that 9/11 victims’ phones were targeted.” Faux News anyone? Fixed News? I’m surprised that anyone’s surprised.
— C.B. Hanif

 

]]> http://www.hanifonmedia.com/now-who-will-lay-bare-rupert-murdocks-shenanigans-on-this-side-of-the-pond/feed/ 2 Sara Haji spanks Maureen Dowd — and other insight from the minds of Muslim ladies at Muslimah Media Watch http://www.hanifonmedia.com/sara-haji-spanks-maureen-dowd-%e2%80%94-and-other-insight-from-the-minds-of-muslim-ladies-at-muslimah-media-watch/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sara-haji-spanks-maureen-dowd-%25e2%2580%2594-and-other-insight-from-the-minds-of-muslim-ladies-at-muslimah-media-watch http://www.hanifonmedia.com/sara-haji-spanks-maureen-dowd-%e2%80%94-and-other-insight-from-the-minds-of-muslim-ladies-at-muslimah-media-watch/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:08:43 +0000 admin http://www.hanifonmedia.com/?p=2323

That “Open Letter to Maureen Dowd?”  That’s what I was talking about at the conclusion of my last post over at InterFaith21.

Our increasingly discredited “mainstream” news organizations continue feeding a diet of Faux News from the right and the Dowds and Tom Friedmans on the left.

But the Internet is making accessible such folks as the knowledgeable Juan Cole. Also the ladies of Muslimah Media Watch where, on the subject of far-right politicians’ thinly veiled obsession with defining how Muslim women should dress, see here and here.

Can’t say enough for MMW, whose About page states:

“Muslimah Media Watch is a forum where we, as Muslim women, can critique how our images appear in the media and popular culture. Although we are of different nationalities, sects, races, etc., we have something important in common: we’re tired of seeing ourselves portrayed by the media in ways that are one-dimensional and misleading. This is a space where, from a Muslim feminist perspective, we can speak up for ourselves.

“As Muslim feminists we aim to locate and critique misogyny, sexism, patriarchy, Islamophobia, racism, and xenophobia as they affect Muslim women. Furthermore, we believe in equal opportunities, equal respect, equal freedom, and equal value — regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, and ability.

“This blog is meant to be inclusive to all people, with a special focus on Muslim women. MMW strives to create an environment in which our writers and readers feel safe and welcome. We ask that you be considerate towards others and their opinions. This is a respectful forum for dialogue, not argument or personal attacks.”

Imagine that: articulate Muslim women, speaking for themselves. Seen that regularly — even lately — in a daily newspaper or local TV station near you?

MMW even offers a list of organizations designed to serve the needs of Muslim women. In contrast, our biased, confused, or lazy Western journalists seem to think that misguided, suffering, self-serving Ayaan Hirsi Ali somehow is supposed to help.

Back to Dowd:

Given this kind of illuminating er, journalism (note the reader comments), it’s no wonder so many Americans were so clueless about Islam and Muslims that we could be frightened into invading a sovereign nation for its oil, and killing untold numbers of innocent people in the name of freeing them — while sacrificing our patriotic servicemen and women, and ruining our economy in the process. And Dowd happened to be a critic of the invasion and of then-President Bush.

Alas, such is today’s wisdom from the s0-called liberal media. With friends like that, who needs Faux.

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