Journalist and FAIR associate Sam Husseini went to the Trump/Putin press conference in Helsinki with press credentials from The Nation and a couple of questions. Specifically, he wanted to ask both leaders why they aren’t living up to their commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and why they’re blocking the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Further, based on the idea that there may be no greater threat than a weapon that is unacknowledged, Husseini hoped to ask Trump if he would acknowledge the existence of Israel’s nuclear weapons.
It wasn’t so quixotic: Reuters (7/12/18) had just reported Trump saying his “ultimate” hope for the summit’s outcome was “no more nuclear weapons anywhere in the world.” But, as listeners may have heard, Husseini, also an analyst at the Institute for Public Accuracy, didn’t get to ask those questions. Before the conference started, Finnish security took him out of the room, saying someone had told them he had a sign. He did have a small piece of paper, reading “Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty,” that he hoped might draw Trump’s or Putin’s attention, but he was prepared to be told this was against the rules and to hand it over. As he took it out, though, security officers leapt on him, knocked his glasses off, and dragged him out of the room, and ultimately to a detention facility, where they held him incommunicado until the middle of the night.
Finnish police couldn’t come up with anything to charge Husseini with. But some media could, implying with quotes around the word “journalist” that Husseini might not be one, or highlighting that he wasn’t hanging out with the rest of the pool. It’s true, Husseini is not one to pal around with corporate reporters and he’s often an unwelcome sight to the political figures he confronts—at the National Press Club and elsewhere—with questions they’d rather avoid.
Confusion about whether it still counts as journalism when it’s challenging to power is as distressing an assessment of today’s elite media as you need, but consider also that, after Husseini’s removal, the press conference went on to leave intact the two leaders’ preferred emphasis on nonproliferation over actual disarmament. It was just that emphasis—more, Husseini argues (The Nation, 7/17/18), about “preserv[ing] the nuclear powers’ monopoly on violence, rather than actually ensuring security”—that he had hoped to interrupt.
“Journalists” question bona fides of journalist
Im sorry for Mr Husseini, free speech and communications
The world propagandists got their false message on non-proliferation out while the only challenger was wrongfully arrested and whisked away for the duration. And the world’s “journalists” watch on and submitted.
Was their a chill in the room or had the temperature already been set to ice.
If lying about nuke holdings and development is the collaborative standard, then good luck any country denuclearizing, including North Korea.
Meanwhile the “journalists” and publishers concoct the biggest Russiagate bamboozel of all time framing both national leaders of a conspiracy and accusing the US President of treason.
But the US intelligence agencies’ reports are weak, insignificant anyway and untested in court. The corporate media would rather lead the “electorate” into muck-land, demoralize the credibility of the USA for the sake of distracting people from important issues, and debase their industry as political tools covering up the real failures of USA 2016: collusion!
This is global narcissism and addiction at the expense of sustainability.
I woke up on July 16, 2018 and by the end of the day I realized it was almost as Godsmack insane, damaging and covert as September 11, 2001.
This is a nation in a tail spin.
This is a planet in a tail spin.
I recently watched that old 70s move with Donald Sutherland: “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Hmmm the pod people, with no emotions or feelings, begin to take over the world. So, I agree with you, Michael Daly Artist.
Journalism—–does not appear to be a word understood by many. It is horrifying when a well known journalist is attacked. for attempting to ask a question. Does Finland also have an ICE group to control any people who are invading their space with LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS?
Helsinki—-a city in Finland, I think HELLsinki would be a better name for your city as it appears to be a place where genuine questions., are not welcome ——but where accusations alone are believed ——–to sadly create the sad and strong armed news .
Please. Be honest, he asked for it, he got it , and now cries foul ? Even though I agree with his goal, his tactic was foolish and irresponsible. At that level , he just assumed they would merely ask him to hand over his sign ? Just made himself look bad .
Gilbert, yes, Artist disregarded the rules, assuming he knew not to take posters, no matter how small, into the assembly. I never understood that prohibition. As long as no one else’s view gets compromised a little proclamation should be the good right of citizens as there is no other way to express themselves in such environments.