Ukraine Tips From Nameless US Officials: Good Enough for NYT
Apparently the people who know best about what’s happening in Ukraine are US government officials who won’t let their names be printed in the newspaper.
FAIR TV: Russian Troops, Christie’s ‘Gaffe,’ Torture Without the T Word
Russian troops are massing on the border with Ukraine, set to invade–so say corporate media, relying on unnamed intelligence sources. Plus straight-talking Chris Christie apologizes for straight talk, and the Washington Post’s scoop on CIA torture can’t say the word “torture.”
Pretending a Name Is Still Secret—in the Name of the Cult of Secrecy
The name of the CIA’s station chief in Pakistan is out, and it’s been out for a long time; concealing it from US readers doesn’t make anyone any safer. But it does help bolster the cult of secrecy,
How Many Unnamed Officials Does It Take to Deny Civilian Deaths?
What do you do when the president of another country says US forces killed civilians there? You get US and other allied officials to anonymously deny it.
Anonymous Diplomats Tell Other Newspapers…
The New York Times reports what anonymous officials apparently told other reporters in order to blame Iran for the failure of nuclear talks.
No, You Still Can’t Trust What the NSA Says
One of the most incendiary revelations from the documents released by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden suggests that the NSA’s mass collection of phone records isn’t confined to the United States. Reports in Le Monde (10/21/13) and El Mundo (10/28/13) say the NSA is involved in collecting such data in France and Spain, too—millions of phone records […]
FAIR TV: Attacking Disability, ‘Good’ Government Leaks and Time’s Funny Iran History
60 Minutes goes after disability benefits, government leaks on that Somalia raid, and Time magazine’s Iran timeline is missing some important history.
Somalia Raid Gone Wrong—Anonymous Officials Explain Why
If there’s one thing we know, the Obama White House hates leakers. Especially leaks about sensitive national security issues. Except when the leaks are the official kind.
See—Spying Works!
When the government proclaimed the existence of a somewhat vague but extraordinarily dangerous new terrorist threat from a branch of Al-Qaeda in Yemen, it provided an opportunity to link NSA snooping to a War on Terror “success”—and many in the corporate media were all too happy to play along.
Anonymous Israeli Official Tells Post: You Can’t Trust Persians
Today the Washington Post (10/1/13) has a piece about how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not pleased with the thaw in US/Iran relations. That’s not surprising. But I was a little surprised that reporters David Nakamura and William Booth allowed this: Israeli leaders fear that the international community, and the United States in particular, […]
A ‘Message’ to Iran—or Misinformation?
The Washington Post seems to be portraying “Iran’s effort to get nuclear weapons” as if it were a fact. It’s not–it’s an allegation.
Snowden Is Helping Terrorists (But Don’t Quote Me on That)
It looks like we might be on to a new phase in the Edward Snowden saga: anonymous government officials going to compliant media outlets to complain that his revelations have made it easier for terrorists to evade capture.
What an Anonymous U.S. Official Says About Iranians in Syria
Suggesting that the Free Syrian Army believes Iranians are in Syria–which is probably true–is not the same thing as saying “Iran has sent soldiers to Syria” to fight on Assad’s behalf.
What’s the Standard on Reporting Israeli Airstrikes?
The claims made about Israeli airstrikes against Syria could be true, or not. What is certain is that the assessments of the airstrikes are being shared anonymously by governments involved in carrying them out, a scenario that cries out for more skepticism.
Guantanamo Prisoners as ‘Reengaged’ Terrorists
If Guantanamo prisoners are being held without charge, and there is no available evidence to charge them with any terrorism-related offenses, why is the Washington Post talking about the possibility that they may “reengage in extremist activity”?
Don’t Quote Me by Name, But My Friends the Koch Brothers Respect the Hell Out of Press Freedom
The New York Times finds anonymous sources to assure us that the Koch brothers are not trying to buy the Tribune newspapers in order to “destroy the other side.” But Mother Jones finds an actual person who explains how the Kochs actually treat media outlets whose reporting they don’t like.
To NYT, Nuclear Facts Become Iranian Claims
The New York Times treats Iran’s right to enrich uranium as a “claim,” to be challenged by anonymous U.S. officials.
How to Read Stories About Israel in the NY Times (Hint: Very Carefully)
Some days the Newspaper of Record says a lot–not always in ways you might expect. Today (3/21/13) a story by Mark Landler and Rick Gladstone about allegations of chemical weapons in Syria includes something you see often–anonymous government sources. That can often be a bad thing; but today it’s pretty useful: Two senior Israeli officials, […]
Armistice’s Day Is Done—Contrary to NYT
Citing anonymous officials, the New York Times reported that “no party [to an] armistice can unilaterally terminate or alter its terms.” International law expert Francis Boyle says that’s nonsense.
Killing a Citizen: NYT, Awlaki and ‘Muddying the Moral Clarity’
The Obama administration has not wanted to explain in any great detail how it justified killing an American citizen in Yemen. But there were apparently plenty of current and former officials willing to explain their case to the New York Times.
