"Is it news or is it terrorist theater?"

Is it news or is it terrorist theater? To Goomp's Purrky (left) it's probably terroist theater. To Babe, on top of things (right), no news is good news.

"As each day passes it becomes clear that the responsibility of protecting our nations and societies from internal disintegration has passed to the hands of individuals, often working alone, who refuse to accept the degradation of their societies and so fight with the innovative tools of liberty to protect our way of life," writes Caroline Glick in the Jerusalem Post:

Is it news or is it terrorist theater?

Let us observe two media events which occurred on Sunday in Gaza. Sunday afternoon released hostages and Fox News journalists Steven Centanni and Olaf Wiig spoke before the cameras. The fact of their release and their statements were reported by more than 1,000 news organizations throughout the world.

At the press conference, Centanni and Wiig, who were forced by their Palestinian captors to convert to Islam, praised the Palestinians. Centanni said, "I just hope this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover this story because the Palestinian people are a very beautiful, kind-hearted and caring people that the world need[s] to know more about" . . .

While their remarks were covered extensively, no one seemed to think that the fact that their first post-release statements were made at a Palestinian Authority sponsored media extravaganza in Gaza was significant. ['Guess she didn't read our two "live," as it was "reported" on TV, posts on the subject.]

Our own sub rosa leading light, Richard Landes of Boston University, has been on the case forever. He was the first we ever knew of who got the Palestinians' Big Lie by the jugular. Instapundit and Pajamas Media and Michelle Malkin got wind of it of late, thank God. Richard stood before a French court this summer* to tell it like it is. We're going to debrief him shortly at a cookout down Sol's on the North Shore.

This gigantic story of the so-called mainstream media's dropping of the ball re the good guys vs. the bad guys won't go away. It was ever thus, but the stakes are wicked bigger now. We remember as a young art school student in the seventies being "interviewed" by a big-time Boston Globe reporter about the murder of a totally ordinary fellow student. In our view, she was just another pretty face, the most nondescript young woman ever was. In the Globe's overblown story, she was a "student leader." We're pretty sure things haven't changed that much in the world of "journalism." What HAS changed are the stakes.

*Update: Richard in the comments corrects the record re his testifying:  "It hasn't happened yet. First trial is later next month. I'll be blogging extensively on it."

Comments

[goomp]

It's all about money. Media has to appear out front with the news to gain watchers and readers or those who pay big bucks to advertise will go else where. If all media talks the same line they feel safe. Anything different might lose readers or listeners.

[rlandes]

thanks for the praise. it is kind of nice to have work that i was told would never get any attention (because the MSM wd never give it the time of day) have some impact. in a way, pallywood was like putting (blogger) bloodhounds on to the scent. i hope the scene is permananently altered.

as for testifying, it hasn't happened yet. first trial in later next month. i'll be blogging extensively on it.

and you're absolutely right about the stakes being bigger. nothing short of that wondrous and awesome experiment in human freedom known as democracy. alas poor europe! i knew her well....

r

[Teresa]

The "news media" is theater, the better they play it, the more money they can make.

The bottom line is... What sells? If we can't find the story we'll make it up, if the story isn't good enough to draw an audience, we'll doctor it, if the story isn't going the direction we like, we'll change the facts.

I don't think there's any real news left. I'm never sure when I hear an item if it's true or not, and if there is truth, how much.