Irresponsible/ biased press reporting

[LancelotSA]

Individual reporters have distinctly shown themselves to take sides in recent reports relating to incidents in South Africa. I personally prefer a report to be unbiased and allow the reader to draw their own conclusions based on facts. Unfortunately we have comments like the following (and these are just two of many examples I have read) :

They waved apartheid-era flags and flags bearing the AWB's swastika-like insignia as they listened to the church service on the lawns of the 700-seater church, which was packed.

It is clear what link the reporter is wanting the reader to form in their head there. Also mention of "apartheid era flags", if the ANC can still sing struggle songs why can't the AWB wave "struggle flags". I have also seen mention being made of "Die Stem" being sung and it was clear that the reporter meant it in a negative light.

I am not at all impressed with the media in the last week or so.... they are using the fear (in fact I think they are creating the fear but anyway) to sell papers instead of just reporting responsibly.

 

[Voltorr]

The media is in a unique position to have a lot of influence on people and yet no moral or ethical standards they are forced to stand by..... i believe it is very wrong and have been seeing more and more of it lately.

 

[bex.cpt]

"If it bleeds it leads" that is the formula for news reporting. Yes they create fear & also create revenue for there paper. News reporting has never been unbiased. Pre 1994 news was controlled by the government of the day. A free press is what we have today but the strings are still being pulled by faceless individuals with their own agenda. The whole Malema saga is a perfect example. He is nothing but a mild annoyance that has been given world coverage cause it sells papers. Previous ANCYL leaders never got the coverage he got cause they were "moderates"
Its time that people realise that the News has nothing to do with the truth but more to do with what will generate the most sales day in and day out.

 

[waynegohl]

i mentioned the same thing in the AWB video thread that why can people sing struggle songs but others are not allowed to wave old flags?

both sides are being baited into something that may or may not turn ugly.

 

[Moederloos]

Interestingly, the only part I disagree about in the OP is the swastika. Using that symbol was stupid - especially considering the ties Apartheid SA had with Israel in the 70's when the AWB formed.

I do agree that the reporters manner of making whites appear to be racist and so on is a deliberate ploy for some hidden agenda. When a crime is committed by blacks ( like ET murder ), the race is never mentioned - but when it is whites ( like the taxi shooting ), the race appears at the beginning - or even in the headline - of the article.

Whites are being marginalised, and an effort is being made to make whites appear as the enemy.

 

[Milano]

LancelotSA, are you suggesting it is not swastika-like?

 

[LancelotSA]

LancelotSA, are you suggesting it is not swastika-like?

My understanding is that it represents three 7s which is from the Bible and represents "final victory in and through Jesus Christ our saviour". So now why did the reporter not refer to it as the "AWBs biblical insignia"? Perhaps because it would not have created the correct connotations he was hoping for?

Here you go : http://mickeys.co.za/2010/04/the-awb-symbols-emblems-whats-its-meaning/

 

[Milano]

My understanding is that it represents three 7s which is from the Bible and represents "final victory in and through Jesus Christ our saviour". So now why did the reporter not refer to it as the "AWBs biblical insignia"? Perhaps because it would not have created the correct connotations he was hoping for?

Here you go : http://mickeys.co.za/2010/04/the-awb-symbols-emblems-whats-its-meaning/

I am not asking about the meaning. I am asking about the appearance. Do you think it resembles the swastika at all?

 

[LancelotSA]

I am not asking about the meaning. I am asking about the appearance. Do you think it resembles the swastika at all?

No.

So do you think the Christian cross and the Swatiska are the same? The cross has "sides" which is closer in appearance the the Swastika than the AWB symbol. Would it be correct to state that it was a "swastika like" insignia if the flag bore a cross?

 

[Milano]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JSpbgoKp8.../SGhrrKG80yU/s400/140px-Nazi_Swastika_svg.png

Looks pretty similar to me

 

[Moederloos]

By no means "academic research", but look at the flags self-proclaimed neo-nazis have:

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/Flags/qt-z.html

 

[LancelotSA]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JSpbgoKp8.../SGhrrKG80yU/s400/140px-Nazi_Swastika_svg.png

Looks pretty similar to me

In future I will refer to the cross as swastika like.

 

[Milano]

By no means "academic research", but look at the flags self-proclaimed neo-nazis have:

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/Flags/qt-z.html

I see a pattern which fits the AWB emblem.

 

[Moederloos]

In future I will refer to the cross as swastika like.

The only flaw is that the cross predates the swastika - so the swastika would need to be called "cross like".

 

[LancelotSA]

By no means "academic research", but look at the flags self-proclaimed neo-nazis have:

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/Flags/qt-z.html

Clicking through on those links pretty much results in most symbols being able to be viewed as neo nazi... anyway Milano is clearly looking to take this off on a tangent as he has failed to address the other issues and take note of the fact that I clearly stated that I said I was mentioning only two of many examples.

 

[LancelotSA]

The only flaw is that the cross predates the swastika - so the swastika would need to be called "cross like".

....

The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been used for over 3,000 years. (That even predates the ancient Egyptian symbol, the Ankh!) Artifacts such as pottery and coins from ancient Troy show that the swastika was a commonly used symbol as far back as 1000 BCE.

http://history1900s.about.com/cs/swastika/a/swastikahistory.htm

 

[Morgoth]

how do you make a cross out of a swastika?

 

[Moederloos]

Agreed - it is going off topic. But you did BOLD that part, so you are equally to blame.




Anyways, back on topic then.

 

[Milano]

Clicking through on those links pretty much results in most symbols being able to be viewed as neo nazi... anyway Milano is clearly looking to take this off on a tangent as he has failed to address the other issues and take note of the fact that I clearly stated that I said I was mentioning only two of many examples.

LancelotSA, it still appears your posts are more about the reaction you get than about discussion or principle.

It was the topic you raised by way of bold emphasis.

 

[LancelotSA]

LancelotSA, it still appears your posts are more about the reaction you get than about discussion or principle.

Milano, the principle is that reporters clearly show bias in their reporting. You are the one that seems to have missed this. The thread title does not say that "The AWB emblem is totally unlike the swastika". If it was your line of discussion would be valid. You have no intention to discuss things but rather try and nit pick. I think anyone with half a brain would realise the intention was for the reader to think Terreblanche and Hitler.

For your sake I could go and find some of the other examples I have read but I'm afraid that doing so will result in your nitpicking these rather than focussing on the big picture!