Newspapers and other media have the power to cause change. It's great when that change is beneficial. When money is given to a charity because of an article about a disease, or when food, clothes, and money are sent to southeast Asia after a tsunami. But that change can also be bad if an error in reporting causes death.
That was the case in a recent Newsweek Magazine article. The article sited a "military source" who said soldiers with the U.S. Military desecrated the Koran to get information out of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. It now turns out that the information the magazine reported was wrong.
This is not just an honest mistake. The magazine went to two military sources who had no comment on the allegations. But the editors let it slip anyway resulting in at least 16 deaths. Afghan Muslims even threatened to call holy war on the U.S., all because of the article.
Now Newsweek has admitted the mistake, but it's well past too late for that. It's too late to take back 16 lives that have been lost. And there's no way Newsweek admitting it was wrong is going to help our relations with Afghanistan or any other country over there because they all think we lie. I'm sure they think the military forced Newsweek to change it's story.
If you get Newsweek Magazine at your house...Cancel the subscription. I want to see that piece of crap go out of business for killing people. And I want to see the writers and editors and anyone else who touched this story to be tried for treason.
Michael Isikoff of Newsweek Magazine
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posted by Elliot @ 12:38 PM
9 Comments:
"I want to see that piece of crap go out of business for killing people."
What about those sent to fight in war? Should they, or those that sent them there, suffer consequences for killing people?
It's great that you can compare American Soldiers to people who wrote lies in a magazine and caused the death of innocent people in a riot.
Are there really people on this earth that are that ignorant? I guess you're one of them.
So killing innocent people is wrong in some situations and right in others (for example, war)....??? Innocent people are dead in both instances -- what makes one "okay" over the other?
And a quick refelction on healthy debate -- just because I question what you said does not make me ignorant. Why include a comment section on your blog when you are going to make rude comments about those taking advantage of it? If you only want those that agree with you to comment, you should make that apparent.
I would say it's ignorant to compare American soldiers to people who made a big mistake, killing innocent people. If that is not the way you feel and you were just throwing it out there for debate, then I apologize.
On the other point...Yes, in war innocent people get killed. But it's for a greater good.
For example if 16 innocent people get killed while trying to stop Saddam Hussein from killing thousands...it's a sad thing, but it's for the greater good.
I agree w/ Smelly. I dont care what your opinion is of war in general. The soldiers there serving are there to do a job. They follow orders and they make a living (or try to) just like the rest of us. There are enlisted men and women stationed in Hawaii that are on welfare because the cost of living is crap (just to give you and idea of what these people do for us and for how very little they're willing to do it) I think its fair to say that most people are horrified @ the idea of innocent deaths but to ask who should suffer? The soldiers suffer way more than you could -ever- comprehend in a -lifetime- and speaking as someone that has friends there that are somewhat ignorant of what the press has to say here re: activity there .. they honestly believe in their -hearts- that they are there to help. That is their desire/intention. And for -that- they suffer greatly and w/ very little complaint.
smelly kat -
Newsweek needs to face reality and not act as if it is operating in a vacuum. It should be very sure it gets its facts right before publishing something that could reasonably be expected to cause such a violent reaction. That said, it is the people who did the actual killing who are responsible for what they did, not Newsweek. The killers are responsible for how they reacted to mere words. And, the people who did the violence do believe some of what Americans say. They believe anything that reinforces their prejudices about how Americans behave. They are perfectly willing to believe Newsweek when it reports Americans treated the Qur’an with disrespect, but unwilling to believe Newsweek when it says it didn't happen. And, treason? Not likely. The first amendment means we all get to say what we want in this country, even if we're wrong. You of all people should be grateful for that. :)
- one of smelly kat's proud uncles
You're right that Newsweek did not actually kill people with their own hands. But if Newsweek did not publish the report, the people would still be alive, and in that respect they hold a lot of the responsibility.
I don't actually belive that Newsweek editors and writers should be tried for treason. But in a very real way they have contributed US hatred in the middle east. And if there are soldiers over there, that's not something that should be taken lightly.
P.S. Next time tell me which very proud uncle this is.
Hey since you are so upset w/ Newsweek "false" information causing the death of 16 people -- how about Bush's "misinformation" about those never-found WMD's of Iraq that have caused the death of about 110,000 and counting!!
In a war it's a little different. If Civilians are killed by accident while fighting for the greater good, it's not positive, but it's also not the same as people being killed because muslims went crazy when a magazine article was wrong.
By the way, at the most the death count of civilians in Iraq is 24,897...not 110,000.
See the facts here: iraqbodycount.net
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