I’m fumin’.
I’ve seen Frontline, so I know not to watch Today Tonight or A Current Affair and expect to see serious or accurate reporting. But last night Media Watch revealed just how far TT would go in the chase for ratings. This time, they’ve edited comments from Australian Muslims, leaving an impression of them as rejecting the Australian way of life.
The point the interviewee, Ahmed Haouchar, was trying to make concerned Muslims not integrating fully into Australian society because of issues such as it being against their religion to drink alcohol.
What he said: “We will never integrate, the way other communities integrate purely because of the fact that you have to draw a line with what your idea of integration is and what our idea of integration and accepting the practices of other people are.”
What went to air: “We will never integrate.”
This cut-off quote was used as the basis for the story and its promotion. In turn it stirred up the usual nest of bigots on 2UE and elsewhere. I fail to see how TT can justify this, it’s a complete fit-up. Classic Frontline, in fact.
- MediaWatch’s video and the transcript are here.
7 replies on “Today Tonight stirring up racial hatred”
I usually watch Media Watch online now and this week I have not done so as yet but I have heard about their story. I mentioned to my partner that Media Watch had done over Today Tonight, and he said, quite with unnecessary smugness I thought, that Today Tonight did over Media Watch tonight. I did see the original story, and it was a beat up for sure. Kinda a nothing story.
I saw the article on TT and was appalled. Also, another classic example of the anti-muslim journalism style now on display in main stream media was Ellen Fanning on Channel 9 (Syd) late night news two nights ago. She “interviewed” one of the moderate muslims selected for Howards Conference held yesterday and basically railroaded him, talked over him and berated him into trying to support the various conspiracy theories on 9/11…. he in turn was trying to provide a pro-Australian view and that moderate muslims are not all “burgeoning terrorists”.
I was disgusted… and still am at the “terrorism” scare media…
It’s a pity we can’t have them prosecuted for stirring racial hatred. It would be appropriate.
TT are doing NOTHING to help ease the tension between Muslims and everyone else. I see so much violence and hatred towards innocent people these days it’s heartbreaking. Stories like these are just solidifying uneducated and often violent opinions about Muslims (or anyone so obviously of a different religious or racial group).
These types of shows generally harass people until they get some sort of quote out of them, then turn the quote to whatever purposes they want. Its unfortunate that a lot of people think its actually proper journalism and that they tell the truth.
Didn’t media watch do a great job. Thanks Aunty.
Of course, no media can beat up a subject like a good politician can. John Howard is right up there as a worldwide benchmark. His “meeting” with Muslim leaders this week was a complete whitewash. See:
http://guambatstew.blogspot.com/2005/08/another-reason-to-love-sunburnt.html and http://guambatstew.blogspot.com/2005/08/question-of-identity.html