#iranelection: Because media blackouts are so 1989

Tek7

Tek7

CGA President, Tribe of Judah Founder & President
Staff member
Numerous reports indicate that Mir Hossein Mousavi, the presidential candidate that run against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran, has been placed under house arrest.
Click to expand...
Source: Mousavi And Other Reformers Arrested. Many People Hurt In Riots By Police

This is history in the making, folks:



#cnnfail is currently the third most popular trending topic on Twitter. Amazing it took people this long to figure it out.

EDIT: Just in case there's any confusion: I don't agree with the foreign policy of either Iranian presidential candidate. Not that that's especially surprising, coming from a politically conservative Christian.

EDIT: How is CNN reacting to the crackdown on protests in Iran? Why, by running a top story about FCC phone lines getting hammered by people who lost their TV signal:

 
Last edited:
I don't know about his arrest, but #1 there are worse things happening in Iran and #2 that's why you shouldn't depend on CNN. My personal favorite news-sites are BBC and France24. The Economist is a great source of information, too.
 
Bowser said:
I don't know about his arrest, but #1 there are worse things happening in Iran and #2 that's why you shouldn't depend on CNN. My personal favorite news-sites are BBC and France24. The Economist is a great source of information, too.
Click to expand...
CNN's image as a legitimate news company has been dragged through the mud in the last 48 hours. The BBC has definitely weathered this historic event with the most grace.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said: "I am sorry that instead of openness there has been a somewhat brutal reaction."
Click to expand...
Source: Iran braced for more election protests

Somewhat? Videos of Iranian police beating and possibly killing unarmed civilians are circulating around the Internet and Kouchner says the reaction is somewhat brutal?

/facepalm

EDIT: And what's the top story on the Fox News web site?

Hundreds celebrated in the streets outside Staples Center after the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA title win Sunday night, with some revelers damaging at least one police cruiser, throwing rocks and bottles at officers and setting bonfires.

At least five members of the rowdy crowd that split off to surrounding streets were arrested after police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, police spokeswoman Mary Grady said.

Officer Karen Rayner said one or two police cruisers were damaged and reinforcement officers were called in from throughout the city to help disperse the crowd.
Click to expand...
Source: LAPD Seeks to Control Rowdy Lakers Crowd

Iranians are risking life and injury to protest an allegedly fixed election and people in LA are damaging police cars to celebrate a basketball team winning a game.

And again:

/facepalm
 
Last edited:
The Iranians deserve a better leader, and I was hoping Mousavi would be a step in the right direction. But, the results of the election shouldn't come as a surprise. It's not a free election in the sense that Americans think of it. Some of the Middle Eastern countries have been ruled like this for a long time; once a president comes into power it's not likely to see him retire until he resigns.
 
Tek7 said:
CNN's image as a legitimate news company has been dragged through the mud in the last 48 hours.
Click to expand...

To be honest they did report on iran long before this post came along. Of course I didn't watch much except I was flipping through.
 
I am confused. How has CNN's name been drug through the mud in the last 48 hours?

A search on Google and through CNN's own search engine provides many Iran related stories... many of them regarding their election.

I am not standing up for CNN or saying it is unbiased (Jim Lehrer's News Hour and the BBC are more unbiased than CNN) but the FCC digital transition is news as well and is just as new as the Iranian election.
 
Last edited:
I know the Iranian election protests and violence is a pretty big deal. That it's not the #1 story 3 days ago doesn't seem as big of a deal to me though. To news sites that are based here in the US, stories that are local to our country tend to get more importance than ones half way around the globe.

I have noticed, however, that since then things have gotten only more out of hand instead of better, the news web sites have pushed stories relating to Iranian election protests to the top of their stories lists.
 
Great thread Tek. Thanks for posting. I am usually very frustrated by news of most varieties i usually get around this by getting news from around the world. I tend to use:
1. SBS (the international news station here)
2. News Watch and DTV Germany
3. Radio Netherlands
4. BBC
5. PBS (EDIT: make that NPR I got confused with my TLAs)- All things considered
6. and when I can get it -al jazeera

Getting news from lots of sources does give you a more well rounded view of the world.

I had great hops for this election and feel very strongly for the young folks there. It seems the protest are quite unorganized at the moment and I fear it will fizzel out soon. One thinks of the orange revolution and hopes something similar might happen there (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Revolution).

The unfortunate thing is that it seems that private polling from US companies support the incumbents election victory which makes in hard for the protesters.
 
Last edited:
Odale said:
QF to the T
Click to expand...


Thank you kind sir.

In other news:

When I was in undergrad I read the following book which has had a lasting effect on me (http://books.google.com.au/books?id=tGmwvJ6STHkC&printsec=frontcover) . I try now to be as motivated as possible to find out for myself but even as a member of IRC and Amnesty International (and soon PEN) I find myself flinging newsletters to the side and binning Amnesty emails with little more than a cursory glance. Tis a struggle to care.
 
Sorry to be an annoyance but if any of you feel a desire to do something you can send the following letter (taken from Amnesty) to the Iranian government at info_leader@leader.ir . OR visit the following website to send a letter to the Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&aid=12454 .

It probably will not do much but it is something that can be done.:)

I am writing to you to express my concern over the use of violence by security forces responding to protests over the election results following the 12 June elections in Iran.

Large numbers of people have been severely beaten by riot police on motorcycles who wield truncheons and night sticks. Furthermore, up to five students at Tehran University were reportedly shot dead on Sunday 14 June and another person was reportedly shot when security agents opened fire on a demonstration on behalf of Mir Hossein Mousavi on 15 June. Several other people were injured by gunfire.

I am also concerned that at least 170 people have been detained by authorities since 12 June, including the brother of former President Mohammad Khatami.

Furthermore, the Iranian authorities have attempted to prevent the flow of information by blocking cell phone, text messaging, email and web sites.

I urge you to insure that security agents will exercise restraint in the use of lethal force to respond to protests, and to refrain from beating people for exercising their right to freedom of expression and association. I also urge that those detained for peacefully expressing their opposition to the election results be released. I finally urge you not to restrict the right to freedom of expression and association, by permitting peaceful public protests and by not interfering with communications.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Click to expand...
 
http://www.alarabiya.net/english/ is a great alternative to Al-Jazeera. Al-Jazeera tends to be pretty biased, but I like reading/listening to it because it has the Arabic perspective.

par, Do you pick up aljazeera on the tv?
 
Last edited:
Bowser said:
http://www.alarabiya.net/english/ is a great alternative to Al-Jazeera. Al-Jazeera tends to be pretty biased, but I like reading/listening to it because it has the Arabic perspective.

par, Do you pick up aljazeera on the tv?
Click to expand...

No unfortunately I rely on radio mainly for my news (occasionally when I am at my parents in law I take a peak). Hence why it is infrequent. In relation to it being biased, well yes it certainly is but so is everyone I suppose :) . I just use a mixture of triangulating info from multiple sources and agreeing with those that agree with me ;)

I have to say I find radio Netherlands and SBS world news covers world news most broadly (when put together) but I tend to really enjoy BBC or NPR (all things considered) for in depth coverage of certain issues.

EDIT: Thanks for the link that is brilliant.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top