La Amistad: How the AP Commonly Muffs American History

Publius Forum ^ | 03/31/10 | Warner Todd Huston

[Mobile Vulgus]

The Associated Press has a famous book on grammar and style that its news writers use to govern their work, a book that is also popular with the whole American news industry. It has served as a standard for many years. The AP, however, seems to have no style or rule for reporting history. Or rather, perhaps it does and the rule is to purposefully garble American history, always skewing it. The APs recent report on a re-creation of the famous 19th century, two-masted schooner La Amistad, famous for its connection to America's slave trade history, is a case in point.

As it happens a replica of the famous ship was built to highlight history of the slave trade as part of UNESCO's Slave Route Project, "to remind the world of the consequences of slavery and to promote cultural exchanges." The problem with APs coverage, though, is that it does not mention the facts about La Amistad leaving the impression that the ship was an American slave trader. In truth it was not an American slaver, though. On top of that the AP seems to think the ship was "made famous in a Stephen Spielberg movie" instead of made famous by the trial that resulted in its seizure by U.S. authorities in 1839.

Read the rest at Publiusforum.com...

[Mobile Vulgus]

The AP garbles history as long as it makes the US look bad, of course.

[a fool in paradise]

part of UNESCO's Slave Route Project, "to remind the world of the consequences of slavery and to promote cultural exchanges."

There is slave trade in the modern world. People enslaved in jihad in the muslim world and sex slaves who are smuggled by organized crime in many nations, including The United States.

There was even a muslim couple in Colorado who had a slave housekeeper. They had to pay her "back salary" but that still does not right the wrongs.

Why cling to bitter resentment through history when no one wants to talk about the modern examples and the one faith that still considers slavery legal?

[ClearCase_guy]

I know it won't happen, but I wish the AP had a stylebook for biased reporting --

"A 5% drop (or greater)in GDP shall be declared a "plunge". It should not be considered a "dip", even if a Democrat is in the White House."
"A .01% rise (or less) in unemployment shall not be characterized as "skyrocketing", even if a Republican is in the White House."

[skeeter]

From only reporting stories that support the leftist narrative to making up stories that support the leftwing narrative isn't such a stretch for US news organs.

If there's any industry badly in need of reform in this country its our completely corrupt news networks.

[Sherman Logan]

The original Amistad set sail from Havana with captives from Sierra Leone in 1839 en route to Haiti.

Trying to import slaves into Haiti in 1839 would have been VERY bad for one's health.

[jeffc]

We had to study this in a Humanities class in college. We also had to watch the movie. I did a little digging and found that one of the slaves was interviewed after the trial and he said that they had plenty of food; in fact, so much that they were tired of eating (fed so much so they would appear robust and healthy at the slave auction - transporting slaves was expensive).

I also find it hard to imagine that they would chain slaves together and then throw them overboard. Chains were expensive and shackles even more so back then. Way too expensive to just toss overboard. Artistic license, I guess.

[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks Mobile Vulgus. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. As it happens a replica of the famous ship was built to highlight history of the slave trade as part of UNESCO's Slave Route Project, "to remind the world of the consequences of slavery and to promote cultural exchanges." The problem with APs coverage, though, is that it does not mention the facts about La Amistad leaving the impression that the ship was an American slave trader. In truth it was not an American slaver, though. On top of that the AP seems to think the ship was "made famous in a Stephen Spielberg movie" instead of made famous by the trial that resulted in its seizure by U.S. authorities in 1839. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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