Mainstream Media - the new ambulance chasers

In their rush for ratings and readership, mainstream media have become the new ambulance chasers. Don't bother to check, verify, quote, find alternate sources or even do basic research, just put it out there. The worse the news the quicker to publish.

From The BBC

The Daily Mirror has apologised to the regiment it accused of torture after publishing fake pictures of UK troops abusing Iraqi prisoners.

From The Boston Globe

THE RECENT actions of Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner were reckless and inflammatory. With no regard for truth or consequences, Turner unveiled graphic photographs at a Tuesday press conference, suggesting that the images portrayed the rape of Iraqi women by US soldiers. The display was an all-time low for a member of the City Council. Turner, now in his third term, used twisted logic to justify the photo array. While stopping short of claiming authenticity, Turner argued that "the American people have a right and responsibility to see the pictures" in light of recent revelations regarding abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

Turner's photos appear to match ones found on a pornographic website. Yesterday the Globe apologized for including a photo showing the images with the article about Turner's claims.


Some apology!

When mainstream media can't find a bad news story they make one up.

From an earlier post.

Solid evidence has emerged to suggest that a recent poll by the BBC’s World Service, was not only systematically rigged, but that bin Laden’s offer of a truce with Europe a mere six days after the survey’s results were published, may indicate that the BBC’s anti-American propaganda is aiding, abetting and encouraging bin Laden’s strategy to divide America and Europe.

The BBC reported the poll’s results in a web article on the 9th of April 2004, titled: 'US is bigger threat than terror.' According to the BBC, the 1500 respondents of the survey were all viewers of its news and international channel.

Powerful stuff! Note howerver, the original title has been changed to: Globalisation 'bigger threat than terror'

Even the Google cache has been changed now.

The world press would have you believe that Iraq is on the verge of collapse when nothing could be further from the truth. The real connection between Vietnam and Iraq is the ambulance chasing mainstream media. The US government and military learned thier lessons in Vietnam, sadly the media did not.