Posted on 08/23/2006 11:38:11 AM PDT by Republican Red
By Jules Crittenden Boston Herald City Editor
Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - Updated: 12:39 PM EST
It’s been over a week since Fox TV newsmen Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig were abducted in Gaza. Until today’s terrorist video by the Holy Jihad Brigade, showing them both alive and demanding the release of Muslim prisoners in America, the news wires and other outlets were largely silent about them. On the right half of the blogosphere, there were suspicions the lack of coverage may be due to Fox’s conservative tilt, much criticized by the left and within the American media in general.
At my own newspaper, a conservative tabloid once owned by Rupert Murdoch and a distant cousin to Fox, we didn’t report much, either. Here’s how the coverage worked:The first night, we saw the brief wire news report of the abduction. We noted that they were kidnapped in Gaza. Knowing that Palestinian gunmen are in the habit of releasing non-Israeli hostages within a couple of hours, we did not run the wire story. There were other stories vying for the space we devote on any given day to the many acts of war and violence in the Middle East. A couple of days later, when they still had not been released, the wires moved a heartfelt appeal from cameraman Olaf Wigg’s wife that had aired on Arab TV. We ran that.That story included Palestinian officials expressing concern that this was something different. They had not heard from whomever is holding the men and did not know who is holding them.Still no hostage video. Until today, there was virtually nothing else available on this story on the wires, which we rely on at present for most of our foreign coverage. As the person who handled the wires on some of those days, I was surprised by the silence.
There have been comparisons to coverage of the Jill Carroll abduction, which are quite legitimate.A couple of notes on that.Carroll was abducted in Iraq, where unlike Gaza the terrorists have a track record of executing abducted foreign news and aid workers.The Christian Science Monitor early on succeeded in keeping a lid on the news of Carroll’s abduction, which raised legitimate questions of a double standard within the news business on how news about newspeople is handled. There are indications Fox in the first week also tried to keep the coverage of Centanni and Wiig’s abduction low key. There does appear to have been significantly more interest in Carroll’s abduction early on, but what made her story explode on the airwaves and in print was something we hadn’t seen yet in Gaza: the emotional hostage video.
That alone raises questions of exactly how willing we are to play the terrorists’ game in addition to the in-house news game, as the terrorists got exactly what they wanted. These are not easy questions. When we play up the videos, we help deliver a huge dose of terror and attention to households worldwide.But we also confirm for discerning viewers, again, that the people who commit these acts deserve no mercy, and no steps should be taken to address their demands in response to their acts.
In the case of Centanni and Wiig, observing the atypical media silence, I had the same suspicions some of the bloggers had, notably www.michellemalkin.com , www.riehlworldview.com, and www.freedomszone.com, that Fox newsmen don’t command the same level of sympathy and interest in our largely left-leaning media that Carroll did.
I am well aware of the complexity of news placement decisions on any given day. It is easy to throw stones.I would not be inclined to believe there might be bias at play here if it wasn’t for the vitriol I’ve seen expressed repeatedly about Fox within the news business and out of it, over the mere existence of a news outlet with the effrontery to offer a rare alternative to the media’s prevalent starched-shirt liberalism ... to be unabashedly pro-American, pro-Israel and anti-terrorist at a time when those things are anathema. We are very accustomed to this kind of criticism at the Boston Herald.But it has achieved a new cynical depth. With two men missing and held by an unknown terrorist group, this is what is posted at www.poynter.org/romenesko, a media discussion forum with a marked tendency to highlight liberal views and give short shrift to voices that don’t march in lockstep.
San Diego Union-Tribune TV critic Bob Laurence:"They are far from the first to be kidnapped ... the kidnapping or targeting of journalists in Iraq isn’t the story it once was."
A patently false statement, given the huge coverage Jill Carroll’s retrospective is currently receiving, not to mention the factual issue that these two were taken in Gaza, not Iraq. But a fair discussion of the issue.
Then he goes on to suggest it is Fox’s own fault, that Fox’s honest conservatism in a "fair and balanced" presentation -- which we can compare to the bulk of the American media’s sham pretense of "objectivity" -- has set Fox apart in its own conservative ghetto.Other media outlets can be excused if they don’t care about these particular newsmen. Fox has been asking for it.
"Fox has deliberately set itself apart from other media ... You can’t keep insulting people and then expect friendship when you need it," writes Laurence.
Proclaiming a desire to be "fair and balanced," and to have executives and commentators question whether this is true of other news outlets, has placed Fox beyond the Pale. For these ideological reasons, an act of terrorism targeting news professionals just isn’t a big deal.
I have no doubt news organizations will fall over themselves to make up for the silence now. They have the terrorist video to run, and they are not insensitive to jabs from the right.They need to keep their fig leaves in place.
But I applaud Laurence for his honesty, something rare in America’s liberal-dominated media where the prevalent view is that the emperor is, objectively speaking, decked out in magnificent clothes.This is a positive development. I’d like to hear some more honesty of this sort. How many others in the news business, and out of it, don’t give a damn about the fate of these two men?
I pray that both men are found safe and sound.
I agree Fox has to be careful. They could be accused of reporting the news based on what the kidnappers tell them to report. The other outlets have no such excuse.
Terrorist Media PING
The media is hush hush over the war crimes of their heroic insurgents.
Damn shame the terrorists didn't grab anderson cooper. You can bet you'd have heard plenty about that.
If it was Katy Couric of CBS that was kidnapped, her substitute anchor Bob Scheiffer would be having on-air menstural cramps while devoting 25 minutes of his 30 minute "news" program to the fact she doen't have access to a hair blower.
FOX is kissing Palistinian butt... pitiful
Lack of media coverage is a good thing. "Take our people hostage and you will get no coverage of what is going on in your world."
Gaza is not Iraq.
Dear Mr. Laurence,
I just finished reading your comments regarding FNC and the abduction of one of their reporters and cameraman.
You state that, "You can't keep insulting people and then expect friendship when you need it. "A most unique concept of friendship I must say. Most people I know do not barter their "friendship" when someone is in need.
Do you seriously believe that because Mr Centanni and Wiig's work for Fox News Channel they forfeit and are not worthy of the friendship and concern of their media colleagues?
Tell me, who else is NOT worthy of your friendship? How about Daniel Pearl, was he worthy? How about Mike Kelly or David Bloom did they merit your friendship. Surely Bob Woodruff merited your friendship?
I suspect all of these reporters who actually faced danger and in several cases died reporting the news would look upon your comments with the disdain it deserves
Better not to inflame their captures. It might help out if other media outfits covered the story and carried some of the weight for them. I suspect now that the video is out we might get more coverage.
Mr Laurence may have actually aided FNC with his despicable comments.
You're right. And who the hell listens to a TV critic anyway? If I had a paper, he wouldn't be there as a janitor after commenting on any journalist in that fashion. Selfish, jealous and no common courtesy what so ever.
I just heard on the radio that authorities feel that the tape that was released has the Al Qaeda stamp all over it. I take that to mean, the style.
I can't even post what I wrote. He needs to stick with TV and fantasy or get a better job. Sorry POS.
I mean come on... he's not even human.
TV critics should stick to reviewing "D" movies.
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt" --- Mark Twain, I believe.
They presume a lot of media coverage is a good thing, I don't buy that, keeping a low profile is the best thing Centanni has going for him right now.
I read earlier that the 72 hour demand was right out of the al qaeda handbook. Then I read this from blog JAWA Report:
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/184410.php
(video) Terrorists Threaten to Murder Fox News Hostages
UPDATE: Not so fast. The video has an al Qaeda feel to it, but the content of what Wiig said was interesting. In the video Wiig implores his family and friends to pressure the local goernment in Gaza to get their release. Which is an odd request, if the demand is for the release of Muslim prisoners from U.S. jails--a common Islamist demand in Iraq.
But the statement by The Holy Jihad Brigades sounds very much along the lines of al Qaeda 3.0. UPDATE: And a group with a similar name has operated in the Palestinian territories, and is linked to al Qaeda. "Jihad Brigades in the Border Districts" is al Qaeda in Gaza.
Developing....scroll down for updates.
It is exactly as I feared. The Palestinian terror group that has taken Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig belongs to the cult of Abu Musab al Zarqawi. They have given the 72 hours notice. If their demands are not met, they will be murdered
That's gonna leave a mark!
Fox has been quiet about the story for three reasons IMO.
1. If they ran it continually, they would be accused of using the kidnapping to jack up ratings.
2. They are not going to give the terrorists who have them what they want, publicity.
3. They are working behind the scenes to get this situation resolved and are keeping informtion very quiet in order to not harm chances of them being released. Until this video was released, it's been a news blackout.
Now, I'm not suprised that the liberal medial has put their own opinion over the lives of these two men. After all, they work for the "enemy" and since when have liberals cared about life?
Excellent read!
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