tagged w/ Disinformazione
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I found this site the other day and found it amusing, sad, and infuriating. After having to deal with fear-mongers, misinformants, and just plain crackpots online such as some here on Current, this site came as something of a relief and revelation as to where many people were getting their (mis)information.
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This Wall of Shame is being assembled by various people, many of whom are on the ground in Japan as residents, not temporarily assigned journalists, who are sick of the sensationalist, overly speculative, and just plain bad reporting that has gone on since the Tohoku quake in Japan on March 11. We feel that contacting each and every publication and reporter every time a bad report shows up independently is not effective, and it is our sincere hope that this will encourage journalists to aspire to a higher (some would say minimal) level of responsibility in their reports.
Severity of Offense scores
1 - 2: Probably unintentional, and based on bad info that seemed legit
3 - 4: Not malicious, just misunderstanding of the situation
5 - 6: Reporting without checking easily-confirmed facts; lazy as opposed to malicious OR just dumb fluff piece using human tragedy as a background.
7 - 8: No fact checking; printing rumours as fact; sensational story more important than actual truth
9 : Fear mongering.
10 : Hysterical fear-mongering along with racial/cultural/political bias
11 : Satan
Some choice examples:
*Gordon Rayner and Martin Evans - 9
The Telegraph (London)
Sensational headline - "Just 48 hours to avoid 'another Chernobyl'" - based on quotes from French bureaucrat, not a nuclear expert. Quotes from actual nuclear expert, saying Fukushima situation is in fact 'not like Chernobyl,' buried in third-last paragraph.
*Pieter Huyberechts - 7
Het Nieuwsblad, De Standaard (Belgium)
"Japanese don't know what's happening"
[condescending]
"They vaguely had heard about 'something bad' happening in Sendai. When I show them pictures of the carnage caused by the tsunami they open their eyes in surprise. Nobody seems to realize the fact that a life threatening radioactive cloud is heading their way."
[sensational, condescending, insufficient research]
*BBC News Website - 7
Pic 5 of 20 - "In Sendai the full scale of the disaster could be seen from the air. Few buildings remain standing in the city that was home to some million people." Accompanying a picture of Minami Sanriku.
Suggesting that a city of a million people has been almost completely wiped out and accompanying it with a picture of a town of 20,000 people whilst there are countless BBC journalists on the ground in Sendai is grossly irresponsible.
*Your World With Neil Cavuto - 5
FOX TV
Screen graphic showing the nuclear power plants in Japan; includes one called "Shibuya Eggman" which is actually a niteclub in downtown Tokyo!
*Virginia Wheeler - 9
The Sun (UK)
Using paranoic Tokyo shut-in as sole source; Photo of "crowded" Tokyo airport that could have been taken in Golden Week; implying that face masks are related to radiation and not pollen allergies; obvious fear mongering and misinformation.
*CNN (US) - 9
CNN television in the U.S. has been showing on-screen headline banners that are unnecessarily alarmist. From just this morning:
Radiation Could Reach US Friday.
Nuclear Cooling Has Failed.
*John Vidal and Damian Carrington - 6
Guardian (UK)
Quoting a Greenpeace-sponsored "expert" and another expert on past Japanese government coverups, and TEPCO lies, to conclude: " The Japanese government has always tended to underplay accidents. At the moment the Japanese claims of safety are not to be believed by anyone." and claiming there are no radiation levels being provided.
*BILD Zeitung (Germany) - 9
Headline titeling "Atomic Horror" mit 4 (!) exclamation marks. The picture on the front shows a person with gasmask/some suit against radioactive pollution. In the background a devastated landscape is shown. On first sight it looks like a nuclear desert, however it is a picture from the destruction caused by the Tsunami. On the next pages they ask: "And what´s up with the Sushi in the restaurants. Can we still eat it"?
*Tim Willcox - 8
BBC News
Tim Willcox insinuating Tokyoites wearing masks due to radiation fears when it is really due to the fact that it`s cedar pollen season which affects many people in Tokyo.
*Edgar Galicia - 10
TVAzteca Noticias
This reporter and his team made wrong translations from Japanese to Spanish. For example at minute 00:18 the Japanese man says "Please stop recording my face" and the news translated as "these are the remains of my house".
In another part at 2:03 there is a Japanese lady saying "here we make simulations (for earthquake) every year " and they translated as "we will never forget this"
*Bill Kaufman - 8
The Calgary Sun
Interviews a man who has family "trapped" without food, in Northern Chiba, which they make out to be closer to the epicenter of the tragedy than it was. Liberal doses of all of the issues - nuclear holocaust, no food or supplies. Also misrepresents attribution of the voluntary evacuations for US and British citizens as being from radiation, where as they are travel warnings due to disruptions in Tokyo.
Also use of the word "trapped" in the title. If they are in Chiba, can't they simply hop on over to Narita?
*Chris Hogg - 5
BBC News Website - Asia Pacific
"Again it is the stalwart exterior that is on show, but you have to wonder how much uncertainty there is behind the mask. As a foreigner in Japan, that is a question you'll almost never get an answer to."
Stereotyping based on assumptions, not facts.
*Hayden Cooper - 5
ABC TV (Australia) Midday News When trying to hype up a story with the byline "Radioactive food fears grow in Japan" used footage of food vendors in Ame-mura (clearly showing the sign above the street in Japanese).
Only problem is that this street is in Osaka (western Japan) nowhere near Fukushima and any food production sites that may be affected by radiation.
Also conveniently glosses over that fact that food and milk products from any of the affected areas in Fukushima have already been quarantined and are not for sale in any region.
*David Gutnick - 10
CBC Radio /The Current
Gutnick travelled to Horoshima determined to establish a link between radiation poisoning from the Hiroshima bombing and the potential for radiantion poisoning at the Fukushima nuclear station. He interviewed a few citizens who, although painfully polite, brushed off his nonsense with comments about the bombing being an act of war and whereas the ongoing difficulty at Fukushima was an unfortunate failure resulting from the force of nature. A few seemed to be offended that he would attempt the equation, and from the hysterical tone that crept into his voice, it was clear that Gutnick found their common-sense replies offensive.
*Bill O'Reil & FOX news - 7
Fox has been using the word "nuke" instead of nuclear. They constantly called the nuclear facilities "nuke plants" which gives a much worse connotation. If you google: fox Japan nuke, you can find tons of stuff. It was their standard practice to use the word nuke instead of nuclear
Also, when it was being reported about the possible meltdown, FOX kept using the word "likely"
-Nuke Plants Likely to Meltdown.I found this site the other day and found it amusing, sad, and infuriating. After... more
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Conservative media figures are blasting Democrats for trying to draw political gain from the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. But on Thursday, it was one of their own -- former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee -- who went there.
The 2008 Republican presidential candidate suggested during his radio show, "The Huckabee Report," on Thursday that, under President Obama's health care plan, Kennedy would have been told to "go home to take pain pills and die" during his last year of life.
"[I]t was President Obama himself who suggested that seniors who don't have as long to live might want to consider just taking a pain pill instead of getting an expensive operation to cure them," said Huckabee. "Yet when Sen. Kennedy was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at 77, did he give up on life and go home to take pain pills and die? Of course not. He freely did what most of us would do. He choose an expensive operation and painful follow up treatments. He saw his work as vitally important and so he fought for every minute he could stay on this earth doing it. He would be a very fortunate man if his heroic last few months were what future generations remember him most for."Conservative media figures are blasting Democrats for trying to draw political gain... more
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It's no longer the end of the beginning but the beginning of the end for the haters out there. The thin veil of decency and decorum as come clean off because the lack the intellectual prowess to maintain the facade. Now that they can no longer hide it will be easy to call them out and expose them for what they truly are. The man declaring himself a proud terrorist is well within his rights to do so. The elected official enthusiastically agreeing with him is in serious violation and needs to be removed from office.It's no longer the end of the beginning but the beginning of the end for the... more
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PLAYING THE HEALTH CARE GAME...
We have all watched in amazement as the defaced photos of President Obama as Hitler held by wild eye'd crazy people screaming loudly with no more of a purpose than to disrupt and to stop the Democratic process. These loud mouth antagonists following their seemingly well distrubuted scripts of Anarchy 101. These people who now claim, to be Blue Dog Democrats or, independents etc.. All also claim to be only wanting a different type of health-care reform? When the truth is self evident by any person that would quickly choose a sign of Hitler and swastikas' to taunt as if these evil signs and symbols had something remotely to do with health care. By their own professed actions they show more to be the apostles of the extremist far right locked in "goose-step" with others like them across the country... following the lead of organizations like: NEWSMAX and Christopher Ruddy, Rush Limbaugh's along with the other hate screaming Neocons and Fascists. It seems rather amazing as after eight years at the helm with Bush, leaving the country on it's knees ruined. Now these over-caffeinated and angry losers, who only want democracy- Only if "they win", are at it again!
We need not forget ~ That some of our goose-stepping colleagues have been assigned to be here.
You can hear some of their voices here among us everyday. They are on a mission... Their own mission to instigate hatred, conflict, discord to disrupt the process and ultimately to destroy Democratic process.
You might ask... Why would they do that? Because, A Democracy is not a "Republic".
You hear their voices twisting the honest need by real people for Obama's Health Care Reform as an "Evil Socialist Plot" to take over the country and the government. These people are deliberately trying to push everyones buttons to cause, a riot and revolt between each other. They want that!!! The truth is, they are nothing more than a group of people with their own agenda that has less to do with Health Care.... and more about their own twisted political beliefs. = > To them.... IT IS ONLY ABOUT THEM!
They want to disrupt this political process by yelling "FIRE" in a crowded movie theatre!
SO NOW.... LETS TALK ABOUT THE REAL ISSUES HERE...
"HEALTH CARE and THE MILKING OF THE CASH COW! "
FIRST.... IT IS NOT ABOUT HEALTH CARE: It is all it about MONEY!
The Huge Money that flows into all these MEGA BUSINESSES. Business like; BlueCross, Blue Sheild and all of the other major health care insurance companies. This is all about keeping that money coming into their pockets! This is huge money!!!! BILLIONS!!!! That these industries are making EVERYDAY, EVERY HOUR, EVERY SECOND. All coming from the wallets and the backs of the hard working people across America.
"ALL THEIR DISCUSSION ABOUT HEALTH CARE THIS IS ONLY ABOUT KEEPING THAT MONEY FLOWING INTO THEIR POCKETS!!!! "
The Obama Health Care Reform Plan, when passed will stop that cash flow and their Milking of the "Cash Cow" and that damages their bottom Line! >> THAT IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT!
(2) IT IS NOT ABOUT THE QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE:
Every one of these Paid Government elected Politicians are lying through their teeth about how bad Government run Healthcare is . Because All of them have "Government Run Healthcare" themselves. (AND THEY ALL LOVE IT !)
(3) WAKEUP!!!
Health Insurance Companies have been bleeding all of us with as much money as they can get from our pockets !
(4) THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRIES ARE ADDICTED THAT MONEY:
They are addicted to that cash flow like a drug. Like any addict or Junky... they will: LIE, CHEAT and, STEAL in order to continue that cash flow and keep that (MONEY/DRUG) coming in.
What we are all witnessing on all media everyday are these Addicts doing everything and anything to continue to protect their overcharging of population by Billions and Trillions of Dollars !!!
THAT IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT !PLAYING THE HEALTH CARE GAME...
We have all watched in amazement as the defaced... more
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Rep. Darrell Issa, Republican of California has sent a letter to White House Counsel Gregory B. Craig, asking for more information into their effort to collect information about the opponents of Obama's health care reform by gathering what they were saying or writing.
It brings to mind the image of the "enemies list" that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.Rep. Darrell Issa, Republican of California has sent a letter to White House Counsel... more
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