John Pilger‘s feature Once again, war is prime time and journalism’s role is taboo makes some very good points about journalism and in particular the role of Leveson, which he suggests is simply a ‘media theatre‘ to deflect us from the real issues.
Sam Russell speaks, Jack Jones and John Pilger listen
As Pilger says, “Blame Rupert Murdoch and the tabloids for everything and business can continue as usual.”
While phone hacking may have caused a few celebs some inconvenience or minor distress, and has unpardonably caused some innocent victims considerable grief as well as possibly interfering with police investigations (and rather more will have been interfered with by those brown envelopes), the ‘business as usual’ of the press, and in particular embedded journalists in covering up the activities of British forces – including, according to lawyer Phil Shiner who Pilger quotes. the killing of “hundreds of civilians” and “ the most extraordinary, brutal things, involving sexual acts” are far more serious.
Phil Shiner being interviewed outside the Royal Courts of Justice
This is of course only half the story, and Pilger also quotes from a Ministry of Defence document from WiliLeaks in which the Ministry “describes investigative journalists -journalists who do their job – as a ‘threat’ greater than terrorism.”
Murdoch pulls the political strings
At a time when there is so much bad press for journalists, it’s good to be able to quote such a glowing testimonial to at least some of our profession. But do read Pilger.
