Media and war briefing: May 28
Regular update of analysis, events and campaigns. In this briefing:
- SATURDAY: MWAW activists’ meeting
- Police use “terror” laws to attack journalists
- MEETING: Racism, war and Muslims
- George Bush in London, protest Sunday June 15
- So wrong for so long: US newspapers and Iraq
- Somalia: Hidden catastrophe, hidden agenda
- Media coverage of Palestine and Israel
- From Basra to Beirut: US is gunning for Iran
- Join our campaign
1. SATURDAY: MWAW activists’ meeting
There will be an activists’ meeting of Media Workers Against the War to discuss campaigning priorities this Saturday (May 31) at 2pm in the Terrace Café, South Bank Centre (nearest tube: Waterloo, Embankment). We’ll sit outside if the sun shines…
Agenda items include the news blackout on Somalia, Alton’s editorship of the Indie, an autumn conference, MWAW media briefings, and lots more
All welcome! Please R.S.V.P. to this email or call Dave on 07801 789 297
2. Police use “terror” laws to attack journalists
Journalists face arrest, prosecution and even deportation under “anti-terror” laws that give police extensive new powers. The government is rushing to deport an Algerian editor after police seized him for downloading a document from a US government website. The case follows the ongoing attempt by police to force a leading journalist to hand over notes from interviews with a former Islamist.
Read the full article here: www.mwaw.net/2008/05/28/terrorlaws
3. MEETING: Racism, the war on terror and the Muslim community
The War on terror has been accompanied by a rise in racism targeted at Muslims. Stop the War are hosting a series of meetings across the country with high profile speakers.
London meeting: Tuesday June 3, 7.30pm
With speakers:
Moazzam Begg, George Galloway MP, Anas Al-Tikriti, Lindsey german, Louise Christian, David Edgar
Bishopsgate Institute
230 Bishopsgate EC2M
www.bishopsgate.org.uk
Nearest tube: Liverpool Street
Called by: Stop the War Coalition www.stopwar.org.uk
4. Bush in London protest
War criminal George Bush will be visiting Britain on Sunday 15 June. No doubt he will receive a sycophantic welcome from Gordon Brown. The anti-war majority, however, will recall the hundreds of thousands who have died, the millions driven from their homes and the utter devastation resulting from the illegal attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan.
Stop the War will be organising a protest in London on that Sunday. For details, watch this space: www.stopwar.org.uk
5. So wrong for so long: US newspapers and Iraq
For the first time a mainstream editor - who just happens also to be a professional media-watcher - has written a book attacking the Iraq war coverage by the US corporate press.
Read the full article here: www.mwaw.net/2008/05/23/mitchell
6. Somalia: Hidden catastrophe, hidden agenda
Media Lens has a very useful summary of the realities underlying Bush’s war of terror on Somalia and the media’s failure to report it. It demonstrates how the government’s strategic silence on the proxy “war on terror” being fought in Somalia is reflected in press reporting:
Read the analysis here: http://tinyurl.com/6z8saz
7. Media coverage of Palestine and Israel
Arab Media Watch has compiled a study on the different language used to describe Israeli and Palestinian deaths. It shows that Israeli deaths are afforded strong, emotive adjectives, while Palestinian fatalities are reported in a much more sanitised, measured way.
View the full report here: http://tinyurl.com/4545nf
8. From Basra to Beirut: US is gunning for Iran
Robert Fisk sees the recent eruption of conflict in Beirut as a “proxy” war between Washington and Tehran. Add this observation to US recent accusation that Hezbollah is training Iraqi militants in Iran, and the American military’s promised dossier on Iran’s role in the Iraq war, and we can see that the old drumbeat of war on Iran is growing louder again.
Read the full article here: www.mwaw.net/2008/05/21/iran
9. Join us!
Join Media Workers Against the War to help us campaign for fair coverage of the “war on terror” and troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Who we are: www.mwaw.net/about
Download a standing order form - a few pounds a month would be a huge boost to our campaign:
