From: awetnayu@hotmail.com
Date: Wed Apr 07 2010 - 11:45:00 EDT
Countering Western Media Propaganda Campaigns against Africans
Amanuel Biedemariam
On March 17, Eritrea’s Ministry of Information released a press statement in response to the annual country Human Rights (HR) reports by the US State Department. This is how the statement started:
“As usual, the 2009 “Country Reports on Human Rights” issued by the US State Department is replete with unsubstantial, politically motivated, accusations and double standards. Factual inaccuracies aside, what finds one more intriguing is the omission in this annual report, as indeed was the case in previous years, of any “appraisal” of the human rights violations of the United States itself both domestically and in its foreign engagements. Apparently, the United Sates can take the liberty to judge other sovereign countries but shies away from even a nominal introspection of its own track record. Yes, the United States is a global power, but this does not endow it with special treatment or a blanket waiver against accountability.”
Partial quote from the Russia’s Foreign Ministry response:
“It would be interesting to learn how [the State Department], which loves to moralize on the issue of human rights, would comment on torture and inhumane or humiliating treatment in the United States itself. And not just the widely known cases in Bagram and the special prison in Guantanamo — which, contrary to the administration's promises, just doesn't close — but also in the prisons and on the streets of America," it said.
China’s Information Office of the State Council published a report titled, "The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2009.” The report outlined a 14-page litany of US Human Rights abuses by categories: I) On Life, Property and Personal Security II) On Civil and Political Rights III) On Economic, Social and Cultural Rights IV) On Racial Discrimination V) On the Rights of Women and Children VI) On U.S. Violations of Human Rights against Other Nations. It concluded with the following statement:
“The above-mentioned facts show that the United States not only has a bad domestic human rights record, but also is a major source of many human rights disasters around the world. For a long time, it has placed itself above other countries, considered itself "world human rights police" and ignored its own serious human rights problems. It releases Country Reports on Human Rights Practices year after year to accuse other countries and takes human rights as a political instrument to interfere in other countries' internal affairs, defame other nations' image and seek its own strategic interests. This fully exposes its double standards on the human rights issue, and has inevitably drawn resolute opposition and strong denouncement from world people. At a time when the world is suffering a serious human rights disaster caused by the U.S. subprime crisis-induced global financial crisis, the U.S. government still ignores its own serious human rights problems but revels in accusing other countries. It is really a pity.”.
The three responses quoted abovewere essentially the same. The intrigue however lies on the fact that all these nations have stopped giving the usual defensive statements that rebuff the report. Rather; they went on the offensive attacking US for various human rights violations past and present not only domestically but also globally. Moreover, they provided supporting materials, graphic images and footages of US human rights violations and provided comprehensive media coverage spanning the globe and beamed it across various international satellite TV channels.
The key here is not the direct official written responses but the multiplier effect that resulted from it. That is, instead of one, many countries are saying the same thing and all at the same time. These countries are using local-TV, radio, newspapers, the internet; satellite-TV-programs and transmit images around the glob unbeknown to average Americans. In addition, they are transmitting the images across close borders. For example, Sudanese TV and radio programs are-seen in Eritrea and Ethiopia. Likewise Eritrean television, ERi.TV broadcasts in Arabic, Amharic, Oromo and Tigrigna and have audiences in many countries including Ethiopia. This is also true for stations from other countries in the region. The response was universal. Regardless of how one feels about the governance and leadership of these countries; even allies of the US such as Ethiopia told same stories repetitively. They counter-attacked US using all they have effectively inflicting a lasting damage to an already poor US’ moral standing and image around the world.
These clearly demonstrate two facts:
Firstly, it shows the US has lost any moral high ground it may have had. Major human rights groups and news organizations have released many reports about US HR violations, renditions/illegal transfer of prisoners; victims that languished in Ethiopian and other prisons-as-a-result. Some of the prisoners are still uncounted for and, amongst them; are two Eritrean reporters languishing in Ethiopian-prisons after Kenyan authorities illegally handed them to US troops to transfer to Ethiopia. This is right-after Ethiopian troops, backed by the US, invaded Somalia illegally using terrorism as excuse on Christmas eve of 2006. In addition, there are torture stories that shocked the world in Abu-Grhaib and Guantanomo and this does not include the mayhem in Iraq . Therefore, when the US accuses Ethiopia of HR violation it is insidious at best and disingenuous at least. That means the US lost the ability to sell US agendas using Human Rights as rallying cry.
Secondly, many nations have developed media capabilities to counter Western propaganda offensive. This is taking place in the backdrop of major credibility loss and information-gap in the US and other Western nations. There is a glaring perception around the world that there is no free press in the West particularly in the US and, especially as it regards to US involvement on international matters. Americans are consuming information provided by handful partisan cable-and-network news organizations. In a sense, journalism is buried-alive because there are no journalists doing independent investigative work and there exists no independent-media. Those who are independent, have no access to mainstream media to channel their report through. Access is only given to specific and favored networks and journalists that report- embedded and in relative safety while enjoying the protection of US troops.
The History and its Ramifications
What Western media, led by BBC , Reuters and others, have done in Africa, to African related issues and African personalities for decades is rape in a broad day light with impunity and without any consequences. They set agendas as they wished, reported on matters when-and-as it suits them. They molded and remolded images of nations, leaders and individuals according to their needs. They did it any time and any where throughout Africa without accountability using money, access, influence and established infrastructures around the world to penetrate target audiences.
Furthermore, stakeholders of these organizations are not the Africans who consume the news and propaganda. It is Western governments; organizations that employ and manage the journalist and, Westerners that fund them. These organizations like the BBC or the VOA target audiences in other countries in an effort to forward their agendas. For instance, Voice of America broadcasts in 50 languages around the world except in the US.
Worse, these organizations do not have to answer, respect or fear Africans because Africans have no power, influence, institutional- structures and importantly the funding necessary to challenge these conglomerates. The BBC’s annual budget alone can rival the annual budget of many African countries. In addition, the people and nations of Africa have no political influence. In fact, individuals in the West have more power. A good example of this is the recent spat between the BBC and Bob Geldoff over the live-aid proceeds that Meles Zenawi used to buy arms. Geldoff received tremendous coverage for his tantrums because he represents the core of their constituency; knows the mechanisms and has the reach necessary to warrant their attention. One can only imagine how many challengeable stories the BBC, Reuters and VOA have aired regarding Africa. Eritreans, Ethiopians, Sudanese Somalis and, I personally have complained about the biased, erroneous and misleading reporting of the BBC, Reuters and others for a long time but have never gotten any attention. Moreover, it is meaningless for Africans to contemplate, expect or demand accountability from Western journalists or their employers because they only work for the best interest of the West.
Until now, Africans did not have the mechanisms to stop the onslaught and abuse. However, that is changing gradually. For the first time African countries are refusing to give access to the BBC, VOA and Reuters. In addition, Western journalists are targets for kidnap and assassinations because they are, believed to be representatives and agents of Western powers. This is seriously undercutting Western access and penetration. The VOA started broadcasting their programs using satellite feeds because Meles Zenawi jammed the VOA. What is odd about the VOA’s response to Meles was that they did not care about the jamming itself but the fact that Meles linked the VOA to Radio Rwanda and tried to associated it with Rwandan Genocides because that painted the image of VOA in a negative light.
Due to lack of access for radio and TV programs; denial of entry into the host/target countries the internet has become the new battleground for news, propagandas, PR and other campaigns. The West are focusing their attention and funding on the web. They are coordinating their print, TV, and Radio and, disseminating it through the internet. They future a story, write an article about it and, place a picture as well as a video feed to complement it. In addition, they always plant a “factoid” (PR or propaganda line) repeatedly in order to program a target audience. They place unrelated factoids in stories in order to discredit nations and establish facts. They use each other’s reports extensively without verifying how the original initiator of the report gathered the facts.
They also use the media watch and human rights organizations to bolster and highlight their views. What Human Rights Watch reports might as well be God’s word. In reality however, according to a September 7, 2001 report compiled by Paul Treanor of Antiwar.com, “Who is behind Human Rights Watch?”, Human Rights Watch was co-founded by George Soros and the US State Department to forward US interventionist agendas. Not surprisingly, The BBC and Reuters are amongst those who have extensive use of these approaches.
For example, on February17, 2010 Reuter’s Jeremy Clark did a story on Eritrea focusing on Eritrean reaction to resolution 1907 that imposed UNjust sanctions based on fabrication. His report was a silly attempt to dissuade Eritreans from marching on Feb 22 by discrediting the event and tainting it as if orchestrated by Eritrean Government. He quoted unanimous individuals that said “They are using the freedoms of America to protest on behalf of Eritrea,” to Eritrean-Americans who posses and have the right as any other Americans to exercise their rights to march. In addition, Jeremy placed a quote as a factoid from a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), that Eritrea is the worst for journalist in the world behind North Korea. Fact: According to Mr. Robert Ménard, secretary general of the RSF for twenty years, he has confessed to receiving financing from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), an organization that depends on the U.S. Department of State to promote US agenda “We indeed receive money from the NED. And that hasn’t posed any problem.” End quote.
What Jeremy Clark is doing is irresponsible to the profession and to humanity. Instead of presenting a balanced story by finding-out who theses marchers are and tell their stories; he joined the anti Eritrea camp and became their agent. His poor attempts to discourage Eritreans failed miserably. He insulted the intelligence of those Eritreans who know-well how to exercise their rights without Jeremy’s moralizations. Tens of thousands marched around the globe ignoring his silly propaganda. In the process however, Jeremy squandered Reuter’s budget and opportunity to tell a story reminiscent to the stories of the civil rights movement Jeremy Clarke robbed the international community and his constituency of truth because much more marchers showed up for the very successful demonstration held by Eritreans and their friends all over the world!
The Core
Major change is taking place on how information is gathered and disseminated. While the internet is playing a key role, the main reason for this is that countries around the world have said, enough! After decades of getting hammered by the Western media monopoly, many countries have decided to defend and counterattack the Western abuse. To that end, they have developed capacity and necessary expertise.
.
At one point, the West could take for granted the welcome accorded them to present their views, news and propaganda around the globe unfiltered. Many Africans allowed it in large part because they felt that they were dependent on the West for aid and financial assistance - in a sense - their powers. As a result, they easily succumbed to any pressures. The West used freedom of expression, democracy and other freedoms to sabotage nations. However, at the end, that turned out to be one-way top-down abusive communication that threatened the sovereignty and stability of many nations. Therefore, to combat it, they are taking steps to deny them access by any means necessary. The West may have the best technologies money can buy; however, they cannot penetrate societies, governments as well institutions easily to create the kind of impact they once had because nations are refusing their journalists, jamming their radios, censoring and blocking their websites. The Google censorship issue with China and the recent blocking of the VOA website by Ethiopia is a clear sign that things have changed. Without access, what Western reporters can do is limited and if they overstep boundaries, it could endanger their life. In August of 2009, it took the engagement of President Bill Clinton to have two American journalists be released from North Korean custody.
Concluding Remarks
In an effort to forward their agendas, the US, UK, France and Germany used identical means to extend their neo-colonial ambitions and exploitation of Africans and African resources unapologetically. They are brazen and aggressive. They have for long succeeded on cracking nations by applying tremendous pressure. However, that changed because the world recognized the abuse, decided to act against it and they are using effective means to stop imposed-undue-influence. In addition, African nations have recognized that Western aid and financing is obstacle to their growth and are looking alternative funding-sources and partnerships. This has created an opportunity for countries like China and others to fill a much needed gap.
The West, particularly the US and UK, have done a disservice to the international community by pursuing agenda driven journalism based on their strategic national security and economic interests at the expense of everything else. They ignored cultures, the people, their ways of life and sovereignty. In a sense, they killed honest journalism by depending-heavily on a strategy of defamation, attacks and rationalization of their misdeeds. That is clear to the world now because they have heard this old propaganda tune on rewind a million times.
The West continues to use these methods because it worked for them in the past and they believe it can work again. However, things have changed and they need to adapt to this “new world order” for their messages to be effective. This is also a sign of their winding down influence around the world and the resurgence of the world independent from their bullying. The cutting of Western propaganda from Africa is an indication that Western tentacles or influence is dying.
However, they have one more life and that is, to use Diaspora Africans to channel their messages through. The BBC and Reuters are very active with Africans in the Diaspora in order to use them for their agendas. The BBC’s Martin Plaut has made it his full time job by paling-around with the Eritrean Quisling League that works as agents of the genocidal TPLF regime. One can look at Reuters Jeremy Clark’s article of April 1, 2010 and other recent articles and you will notice recycled sound bites. You will read no substance but North Korea, Human Rights organizations, violators, reporter’s organizations and the like. You will never find a balance and a sincere approach to journalism.
Therefore, Africans in the Diaspora need to take measures to ensure accountability in journalism. They need to demand truth and balance. They can do it by taking simple steps. They can stop giving them platforms. Stop posting their articles on their websites because the BBC will not post your views let alone your articles. In addition and most importantly, Africans need to take a lesson from the methodology Western media uses and apply it on them. Western media uses factoid or inserts to reinforce their views. They use every organization’s reports to buttress a point.
Africans in the Diaspora can use those factoids on these organizations every time they decide to post their articles on their websites. Some examples:
The BBC is not "properly held to account" in the way it spends public money, MPs have said.
· The BBC has been accused of "shameful hypocrisy" over its decision to spend £200,000 blocking a freedom of information request about its reporting in the Middle East
· The BBC is a propaganda outlet, not a news organization.
· Reuters is reinforcement for the propaganda the BBC spews out.
· VOA is an official organ of the US government and will propagate the “News” as fits the overall US foreign policy.
Africans can use these and other factoid inserts when they post articles from questionable media organizations. Most importantly Africans need to develop ways that they can communicate effectively by developing their own media capacity.
Awetnayu@hotmaail.com
_________________________________________________________________
The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail.
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multiaccount&ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_4
----[This List to be used for Eritrea Related News Only]----