Metro
Article 1
Headline: Radical cleric attacked for converting boy of 11
Section: News
Written by: Miles Erwin
Page: 9
Outline: This article takes up most of page 11 and is about the conversion of a boy aged 11 to Islam by Anjem Choudary who is described as a "radical cleric". The article features a photo of the conversion ceremony taking place with the boy's face blurred out.
In the 2nd paragraph of the article the words "The bewildered looking boy....was filmed repeating Arabic chants and swearing allegiance to Allah...."
The words "Arabic chants" are a poor choice by Erwin who should know that the correct terminology to use would be Arabic Prayers.
The article features a photo of Omar Bakri and it mentioned in the article that Anjem Choudary has links to Bakri who is described as a "Muslim hate preacher". Erwin also mentions that Choudary's group wants Britain to "...become an Islamic state ruled by strict Sharia law."
The closing paragraph of the article mentions that Bakri "...is famous for praising the 9/11 hijackers as the magnificent 19".
The article also contains comments by Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra of the Muslim Council of Britain and the Christian Muslim Forum who criticises Choudary's actions, "I believe that a choice pf Islam is only to be done when you can fully understand the complex, mature and life-changing decision that you are making"
Whilst the inclusion of Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra's comments is a good step to show that conversion of young Children isn't endorsed by all Muslims the overall view of the article is that it's unnecessarilly scaremongering the readers.
The image presented is that "bewildered" young children will be coerced into converting by men who endorse terrorism and want to establish a strict Islamic State in Britain.
It is fairly safe to assume that this is an isolated incident carried out by a Group that has few backers amongst the vast majority of British Muslims. To give this much coverage to a story like this is merely going to feed the fear that some people hold towards Muslims and in that respect is an example of irresponsible journalism by Miles Erwin.
Article Verdict: Negative
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Friday 26th June
Manchester Evening News (City Edition)
Article 1
Headline: I was thrown off flight to the US because my name's Muhammed
Section: News
Written by: Pete Bainbridge
Page: 24
Outline: This news story is about Mr Muhammed Vakaas Khan who was denied permission to fly to the US and escorted off his flight by security guards in front of other passengers.
The article starts with the text "A MUSLIM man claims US officials..."
Given the context of the story it is appropriate to mention Mr Khan's religious background because he alleges that he was denied entry on grounds of his religion and that his name, Muhammed may have been linked by US officials to terrorism. It may sound far fetched but unfortunately Muslim even British Muslim travellers regularly face harassment by US immigration officials who present awkward questions to them and Mr Khan's case is one more example of this.
The article is given prominence on page 24 and is the only news story on that page, with the remainder being taken up by adverts. The article mentioned Mr Khan's background, martial arts, and that he was travelling to the US to train with his sporting hero.
It also mentions that Mr Khan's cousin had to face similar visa problems when he wanted to work in the US. The article presents Mr Khan's story in a sympathetic light and also features a photo of him. It brings to light this important issue which is faced all too frequently by many British Muslim travellers to the US, in that respect this article is given a 'Positive' rating.
Article 1
Headline: I was thrown off flight to the US because my name's Muhammed
Section: News
Written by: Pete Bainbridge
Page: 24
Outline: This news story is about Mr Muhammed Vakaas Khan who was denied permission to fly to the US and escorted off his flight by security guards in front of other passengers.
The article starts with the text "A MUSLIM man claims US officials..."
Given the context of the story it is appropriate to mention Mr Khan's religious background because he alleges that he was denied entry on grounds of his religion and that his name, Muhammed may have been linked by US officials to terrorism. It may sound far fetched but unfortunately Muslim even British Muslim travellers regularly face harassment by US immigration officials who present awkward questions to them and Mr Khan's case is one more example of this.
The article is given prominence on page 24 and is the only news story on that page, with the remainder being taken up by adverts. The article mentioned Mr Khan's background, martial arts, and that he was travelling to the US to train with his sporting hero.
It also mentions that Mr Khan's cousin had to face similar visa problems when he wanted to work in the US. The article presents Mr Khan's story in a sympathetic light and also features a photo of him. It brings to light this important issue which is faced all too frequently by many British Muslim travellers to the US, in that respect this article is given a 'Positive' rating.
Article Verdict: Positive
Metro
Article 1
Headline: Tension over gay party in holy city
Section: World Digest
Written by: ?
Page: 22
Outline: This news brief talks about 2 events, a gay pride parade and opening of a municipal car park on the Jewish Sabbath which are described as "causing tension in Jerusalem.."
It mentions that the parade "...has touched off anti-gay protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews...in the past.." and that the planned opening of a car park stirred tensions because "Jewish religous law bans travel on the Sabbath".
This article has been included in the round up to present a point of comparison i.e. how does reporting by the Metro and M.E.N about other religious groups compare to reporting about Muslims?
In this particular instance people are likely to get a negative view of Ultra-Orthodox Jews because the brief mentions that they carried out "anti-gay protests", in this respect it presents them in a negative light.
Article Verdict: Negative
Metro
Article 2
Headline: School racist for barring 'non-Jew'
Section: News
Written by: Miles Erwin
Page: 32
Outline: This article is about a boy who was denied entry into a Jewish school because it not recognise his mother's conversion to Judaism.
The article opens with the words "A POPULAR Jewish school has been ruled racist..." The story then goes on to explain that the school is state-run and that it was deemed "Unlawfully racist" by the Court of Appeal.
The article explains the entry requirements for the school and that to qualify the prospective pupil's mother must be Jewish by descent or conversion, Erwin goes on to write that this requirement "contravened the Race Relations Act (according to) Lord Justice Sedley"
The closing paragraphs mention that the boy will now be admitted and that the Governors had refused entry because they didn't recognise his mother's conversion from Catholicism.
The article ends with the words "...no faith school is immune from race laws, Lord Justice Sedley said"
Overall this article presents the governors of the school in a negative light as it states that they were found to be acting in a racist manner.
Article Verdict: Negative
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Friday, 19 June 2009
Thursday 18th June
Manchester Evening News (City Edition)
Nil Return
Metro
Article 1
Headline: "World - Protestors defy threats in Iran" & "Footballers show solidarity"
Section: Front page brief & News
Written by: Miles Erwin
Page: Front page and page 5
Outline: This article is about the protests in Iran over the outcome of the recent Presidential election where Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was declared the winner but this was disputed by his main rival Mir Hossein Mousavi.
The front page brief lists the number of protestors (500,000) and mentions that they did so "despite warning that dissdents faced being executed"
The follow on articles are on page 7 and almost occupy the full page except for a tiny sliver which is an advert. The articles feature 4 pictures, 3 from a Football World Cup qualifiying match between Iran and South Korea which show members of the Iranian football team with some wearing green wrist bands to show solidarity with the defeated candidate. The other 2 photos are of spectators, 1 shows a man holding an Iranian flag which carries the text "Free Iran" and the other shows groups of spectaors holding placards that read "where is my vote?". The football article focuses on the fact that 5 of the Iranian team were sporting the green armbands in solidarity with the protestors but they removed them because of what the article describes as "...speculation their coach ordered them to do so". The remainder of the article provides brief commentary on the spectators placards and mention of the match score.
The second article runs with a similar heading to that featured on the front page and focuses on the protests taking place in Iran. In this article.
Erwin prints the following statement by the Prosecutor General of Isfahan province;
"We warn the few, controlled by foreigners, who try to disrupt domestic security by inciting individuals to destroy and to commit arson that the Islamic penal code for such individuals waging war against God is execution"
Erwin then goes on to mention that 19 people have been killed and that foriegn news journalists can not report the violence.
Erwin fails to contextualise the comment made by the Prosecutor General particularly the part relating to "foreigners", this is in response to concerns raised by the Iranian authorities that the trouble and violence may be being stirred up by covert foreign operations in an effort to destabilise the country. Failing to contextualise the comments deprives readers of the full story and makes it seem as though foreigners are being pointlessly blamed for the violence.
The overall narrative presented in the story is one that presents a negative view of Iran and the Iranian Government through selective reporting which leaves out key facts for the reader thus these articles are given a 'Negative' rating.
Article Verdict: Negative
Nil Return
Metro
Article 1
Headline: "World - Protestors defy threats in Iran" & "Footballers show solidarity"
Section: Front page brief & News
Written by: Miles Erwin
Page: Front page and page 5
Outline: This article is about the protests in Iran over the outcome of the recent Presidential election where Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was declared the winner but this was disputed by his main rival Mir Hossein Mousavi.
The front page brief lists the number of protestors (500,000) and mentions that they did so "despite warning that dissdents faced being executed"
The follow on articles are on page 7 and almost occupy the full page except for a tiny sliver which is an advert. The articles feature 4 pictures, 3 from a Football World Cup qualifiying match between Iran and South Korea which show members of the Iranian football team with some wearing green wrist bands to show solidarity with the defeated candidate. The other 2 photos are of spectators, 1 shows a man holding an Iranian flag which carries the text "Free Iran" and the other shows groups of spectaors holding placards that read "where is my vote?". The football article focuses on the fact that 5 of the Iranian team were sporting the green armbands in solidarity with the protestors but they removed them because of what the article describes as "...speculation their coach ordered them to do so". The remainder of the article provides brief commentary on the spectators placards and mention of the match score.
The second article runs with a similar heading to that featured on the front page and focuses on the protests taking place in Iran. In this article.
Erwin prints the following statement by the Prosecutor General of Isfahan province;
"We warn the few, controlled by foreigners, who try to disrupt domestic security by inciting individuals to destroy and to commit arson that the Islamic penal code for such individuals waging war against God is execution"
Erwin then goes on to mention that 19 people have been killed and that foriegn news journalists can not report the violence.
Erwin fails to contextualise the comment made by the Prosecutor General particularly the part relating to "foreigners", this is in response to concerns raised by the Iranian authorities that the trouble and violence may be being stirred up by covert foreign operations in an effort to destabilise the country. Failing to contextualise the comments deprives readers of the full story and makes it seem as though foreigners are being pointlessly blamed for the violence.
The overall narrative presented in the story is one that presents a negative view of Iran and the Iranian Government through selective reporting which leaves out key facts for the reader thus these articles are given a 'Negative' rating.
Article Verdict: Negative
Monday, 15 June 2009
Monday 15th June
Manchester Evening News (City Edition)
Article 1
Headline: Israeli PM back a state for Palestine
Section: News
Written by: Peter Green
Page: 12
Outline: This article is so wrong it's hard to decide where to begin. Let's start with the headline, for those who know the detail of what Binyamin, referred to as "Benjamin" in this article, Netanyahu has said will know that his idea of a "State" doesn't actually equate to what a real State should be like.
The one thing that Green does get right is to refer to Netanyahu as "Israel's hard-line Prime Minister", although he is actually right wing and arguably an extreme one at that.
Green goes into some of the detail of Netanyahu's proposals i.e. that the proposed Palestinian state should not have an army nor should the refugees be allowed the right to return to their homes that they were driven out of when Israel was created. Although this crucial bit of information is not given by Green in the article.
Green then goes onto present Netanyahu in a positive light stating that Netanyahu "offered to talk to Palestinians immediately...with no preconditions", that he "wanted to live...as good neighbours" with the Palestinians and that he "...was willing to go to Damascus, Riyadh and Beirut in pursuit of a Middle East peace deal."
These statements inaccurately present Netanyahu as a reasonable figure out looking for peace, Green should have devoted valuable column inches to spelling out the finer detail of Netanyahu's proposal to show readers that what we was promising Palestinians was a so called State which would have no army and not have control of its airspace or land borders.
Green mentions that "Palestinians demand all the West Bank with East Jerusalemas capital. Israel captured both areas in 1967". The choice of words is significant by using "demand" and "all the West Bank..." it's almost like painting a picture that the Palestinians are perhaps being unreasonable i.e. almost saying to Israel 'Give me the West Bank!'. Whilst Green mentions that Israel captured both territories he fails to mention that this was in violation of International and UN law and that the Israeli occupation is considered illegal by every nation in the World except in Israel itself.
Green also remarkably fails to mention the very big problem of illegal settlements that Israel has contructed in the West Bank. These are conveniently left out.
The icing on the cake for this particular article is the closing paragraph where it is said of Netanyahu that "...he fears Palestinian militants will use the West Bank to stage attacks on Israel as Hamas militants have fired into Israel since it withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005". Green fails to mention the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza which has turned the territory into the World's largest prison and the fact that Israel launched a brutal war there just 6 months ago where 1,400 Palestinians were killed including at least 430 children. This closing paragraph from Green is almost presenting justification for Netanyahu's ridiculous proposal for a Palestinian state.
If Green ever loses his job at the M.E.N I'm sure he'll be snapped up as a spokesman for the Israeli Government. In the meantime this serves as one of the most blatant examples of Hasbara in action.
Article 1
Headline: Israeli PM back a state for Palestine
Section: News
Written by: Peter Green
Page: 12
Outline: This article is so wrong it's hard to decide where to begin. Let's start with the headline, for those who know the detail of what Binyamin, referred to as "Benjamin" in this article, Netanyahu has said will know that his idea of a "State" doesn't actually equate to what a real State should be like.
The one thing that Green does get right is to refer to Netanyahu as "Israel's hard-line Prime Minister", although he is actually right wing and arguably an extreme one at that.
Green goes into some of the detail of Netanyahu's proposals i.e. that the proposed Palestinian state should not have an army nor should the refugees be allowed the right to return to their homes that they were driven out of when Israel was created. Although this crucial bit of information is not given by Green in the article.
Green then goes onto present Netanyahu in a positive light stating that Netanyahu "offered to talk to Palestinians immediately...with no preconditions", that he "wanted to live...as good neighbours" with the Palestinians and that he "...was willing to go to Damascus, Riyadh and Beirut in pursuit of a Middle East peace deal."
These statements inaccurately present Netanyahu as a reasonable figure out looking for peace, Green should have devoted valuable column inches to spelling out the finer detail of Netanyahu's proposal to show readers that what we was promising Palestinians was a so called State which would have no army and not have control of its airspace or land borders.
Green mentions that "Palestinians demand all the West Bank with East Jerusalemas capital. Israel captured both areas in 1967". The choice of words is significant by using "demand" and "all the West Bank..." it's almost like painting a picture that the Palestinians are perhaps being unreasonable i.e. almost saying to Israel 'Give me the West Bank!'. Whilst Green mentions that Israel captured both territories he fails to mention that this was in violation of International and UN law and that the Israeli occupation is considered illegal by every nation in the World except in Israel itself.
Green also remarkably fails to mention the very big problem of illegal settlements that Israel has contructed in the West Bank. These are conveniently left out.
The icing on the cake for this particular article is the closing paragraph where it is said of Netanyahu that "...he fears Palestinian militants will use the West Bank to stage attacks on Israel as Hamas militants have fired into Israel since it withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005". Green fails to mention the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza which has turned the territory into the World's largest prison and the fact that Israel launched a brutal war there just 6 months ago where 1,400 Palestinians were killed including at least 430 children. This closing paragraph from Green is almost presenting justification for Netanyahu's ridiculous proposal for a Palestinian state.
If Green ever loses his job at the M.E.N I'm sure he'll be snapped up as a spokesman for the Israeli Government. In the meantime this serves as one of the most blatant examples of Hasbara in action.
Article Verdict: Negative
Metro
Article 1
Headline: Israel call for peace rejected & Israel's olive branch?
Section: Front page brief & page 5
Written by: Miles Erwin
Page: Front page and page 5
Outline: The Metro does one better than the M.E.N by not only placing a spun version of Netanyahu's offer on the front page but by also making the Palestinians out to be antagonists by rejecting this so called "peace".
On page 5 Erwin continues by calling Netanyahu's action "historic" and using the same sort of spin tactics as Green though to a lesser extent and also allowing for quotes from the Palestinian Authority.
However in closing a statement from the US administration is given in where it states that the US welcomed the gesture made by Netanyahu.
Erwin failed to mention the specifics of the proposal put forward by Netanyahu i.e. no control over borders, right of refugees to return to their homes and of course the illegal settlements which Erwin also completely ignored.
It's snoteworthy to see 2 different competing papers reporting the same story allegedly from different ends of the Political sphere in terms of their bias yet singing from pretty much the same Hasbara hymn sheet.
Article Verdict: Negative
Saturday, 13 June 2009
Friday, 12 June 2009
Thursday 11th June
Manchester Evening News (City Edition)
Nil Return
Metro
Article 1
Headline: 'Terrorists' linked to Air France Crash
Section: News
Written by: ?
Page: 7
Outline: This news brief featured on the bottom of page 7 in a very small box with the headline highlighted in orange font. It is placed next to a story about the shooting at a Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. It is only 52 words long.
In these limited number of words the news brief mentions that 2 of the passengers on board Air France flight 447 that crashed into the Atlantic "...had names linked to terrorism..." It goes onto say that "...they were also on a highly classified list of radical Muslims considered a threat to France..."
As it happens the deceased men who are accused of being terrorists were in fact cleared but even before that the labelling of them as "terrorists" in the headline was premature and irresponsible. There also wasn't any need to make reference to their religious background. For these reasons this news brief is given a 'Negative' rating.
Article Verdict: Negative
Article 2
Headline: Iran election ends in bitter war of words
Section: News
Written by: Miles Erwin
Page: 12
Outline: This article is about the Iranian Presidential Elections and is featured towards the top of page 12. It shares the page with an advertisement and the 'World Digest' section.
Miles Erwin focuses on remarks made by incumbent President Ahmedinejad about his opponents particularly Mir Hossein Mousavi who is described by Erwin as a "pro-reform challenger".
Erwin describes the mood amongst the people and how they are gearing up for the election. One key paragraph featured in the article states that the results of the election "...will have little impact on Iran's key policies, which are dictated by the ruling Islamic clerics".
The choice of words is important as the "Islamic clerics" referred to by Erwin are in fact members of the Guardian Council which is a constitutionally mandated body designed to maintain the political integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Referring to them as simply "Islamic clerics" is misleading as it presents them as only acting in a religious capacity whereas they have a political role.
Erwin then goes on to describe President Ahmedinejad as a "...troublesome figure..." who questioned "...the holocaust and called for Israel's demise". This last point is worth flagging as it is one of the most commonly told lies that appears to be recycled by any journalist or personality critical of Iran's President. It refers to a speech where it is incorrectly alleged that President Ahmedinejad was 'Israel wiped off the map'.
This has been exposed as a fabrication by many Persian language experts and even by the Pro-Israel media monitoring organisation MEMRI. The actual text of the speech shows that President Ahmedinejad's words were referring to the regime that is occupying Jerusalem i.e. the Israeli Regime, he wished for this to be wiped from the pages of history. This is interpreted simply as President Ahmedinejad wanting to see 'regime change' in Israel much like Bush wanted to see in Iraq. This hardly justifies the false interpretation attributed by Erwin to President Ahmedinejad.
False reporting and misleading commentary earn Erwin's article a 'Negative' rating.
Article Verdict: Negative
Article 3
Headline: Shoe bomber goes on a hunger strike
Section: World Digest
Written by: ?
Page: 12
Outline: This news brief is about Richard Reid who was dubbed the 'shoe bomber' after an alleged failed attempt to blow up an airliner. The news brief is featured in the World Digest section which is immediately below the story about the Iranian elections.
It talks about Reid being on hunger strike in protest at the guards allegedly stopping him from "...practicing Islam."
In the next sentence he is described as "The British Muslim was convicted of trying to blow up an American Airlines jet in 2001". The relevance of mentioning his religious background in this closing sentence needs to be questioned, it would have sufficed to simply state that he was on hunger strike because he felt he was being stopped from practicing his religious duties as a Muslim. There was no need to then say that the "British Muslim" tried to commit this crime, an alternative would have been to say "Reid was convicted of..."
Considering the negative associations implied by this news brief between Muslims and acts of terrorism this article is given a 'Negative' rating.
Article Verdict: Negative
Article 4
Headline: Car bomb leaves at least 28 dead
Section: World Digest
Written by: ?
Page: 12
Outline: This news brief is featured immediately below the story about Richard Reid.
As one can deduce from the headline the story is about a car bomb, it happened in Iraq and the blame is attributed by the article to "Sunni Muslim Militants..." who it is claimed "...have carried out several bombings in the Shia south".
There is absoutely no need to refer to religious backgrounds in this news brief and certainly no need to highlight the sectarian divide in Iraq.
This article is given a 'Negative' rating.
Article Verdict: Negative
Nil Return
Metro
Article 1
Headline: 'Terrorists' linked to Air France Crash
Section: News
Written by: ?
Page: 7
Outline: This news brief featured on the bottom of page 7 in a very small box with the headline highlighted in orange font. It is placed next to a story about the shooting at a Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. It is only 52 words long.
In these limited number of words the news brief mentions that 2 of the passengers on board Air France flight 447 that crashed into the Atlantic "...had names linked to terrorism..." It goes onto say that "...they were also on a highly classified list of radical Muslims considered a threat to France..."
As it happens the deceased men who are accused of being terrorists were in fact cleared but even before that the labelling of them as "terrorists" in the headline was premature and irresponsible. There also wasn't any need to make reference to their religious background. For these reasons this news brief is given a 'Negative' rating.
Article Verdict: Negative
Article 2
Headline: Iran election ends in bitter war of words
Section: News
Written by: Miles Erwin
Page: 12
Outline: This article is about the Iranian Presidential Elections and is featured towards the top of page 12. It shares the page with an advertisement and the 'World Digest' section.
Miles Erwin focuses on remarks made by incumbent President Ahmedinejad about his opponents particularly Mir Hossein Mousavi who is described by Erwin as a "pro-reform challenger".
Erwin describes the mood amongst the people and how they are gearing up for the election. One key paragraph featured in the article states that the results of the election "...will have little impact on Iran's key policies, which are dictated by the ruling Islamic clerics".
The choice of words is important as the "Islamic clerics" referred to by Erwin are in fact members of the Guardian Council which is a constitutionally mandated body designed to maintain the political integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Referring to them as simply "Islamic clerics" is misleading as it presents them as only acting in a religious capacity whereas they have a political role.
Erwin then goes on to describe President Ahmedinejad as a "...troublesome figure..." who questioned "...the holocaust and called for Israel's demise". This last point is worth flagging as it is one of the most commonly told lies that appears to be recycled by any journalist or personality critical of Iran's President. It refers to a speech where it is incorrectly alleged that President Ahmedinejad was 'Israel wiped off the map'.
This has been exposed as a fabrication by many Persian language experts and even by the Pro-Israel media monitoring organisation MEMRI. The actual text of the speech shows that President Ahmedinejad's words were referring to the regime that is occupying Jerusalem i.e. the Israeli Regime, he wished for this to be wiped from the pages of history. This is interpreted simply as President Ahmedinejad wanting to see 'regime change' in Israel much like Bush wanted to see in Iraq. This hardly justifies the false interpretation attributed by Erwin to President Ahmedinejad.
False reporting and misleading commentary earn Erwin's article a 'Negative' rating.
Article Verdict: Negative
Article 3
Headline: Shoe bomber goes on a hunger strike
Section: World Digest
Written by: ?
Page: 12
Outline: This news brief is about Richard Reid who was dubbed the 'shoe bomber' after an alleged failed attempt to blow up an airliner. The news brief is featured in the World Digest section which is immediately below the story about the Iranian elections.
It talks about Reid being on hunger strike in protest at the guards allegedly stopping him from "...practicing Islam."
In the next sentence he is described as "The British Muslim was convicted of trying to blow up an American Airlines jet in 2001". The relevance of mentioning his religious background in this closing sentence needs to be questioned, it would have sufficed to simply state that he was on hunger strike because he felt he was being stopped from practicing his religious duties as a Muslim. There was no need to then say that the "British Muslim" tried to commit this crime, an alternative would have been to say "Reid was convicted of..."
Considering the negative associations implied by this news brief between Muslims and acts of terrorism this article is given a 'Negative' rating.
Article Verdict: Negative
Article 4
Headline: Car bomb leaves at least 28 dead
Section: World Digest
Written by: ?
Page: 12
Outline: This news brief is featured immediately below the story about Richard Reid.
As one can deduce from the headline the story is about a car bomb, it happened in Iraq and the blame is attributed by the article to "Sunni Muslim Militants..." who it is claimed "...have carried out several bombings in the Shia south".
There is absoutely no need to refer to religious backgrounds in this news brief and certainly no need to highlight the sectarian divide in Iraq.
This article is given a 'Negative' rating.
Article Verdict: Negative
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Tuesday 9th June
Manchester Evening News (City Edition)
Article 1
Headline: 10 killed in mosque attack
Section: World Today
Written by: ?
Page: 12
Artice Verdict: Negative
Article 2
Headline: Terror suspect 'wanted Blair and Brown dead'
Section: News
Written by: ?
Page: 19
Artice Verdict: Negative
Article 3
Headline: 250,000 Lancashire bricks to go to the Gulf
Section: Business
Written by: Jill Burdett
Page: 34
Artice Verdict: Neutral
Metro
Nil Return
Article 1
Headline: 10 killed in mosque attack
Section: World Today
Written by: ?
Page: 12
Outline: This news brief is about an attack on a Mosque in Thailand in which 10 people were killed. It mentions that the Imam was amongst the dead.
The brief ends with the statement "Islamic separatists are thought to be to blame".
One glaring omission is mention of the fact that all those killed in the attack were Muslims carrying out worship. Some may argue that this is obvious as it mentions an attack on a Moque. However if the writer can go to the trouble of pointing out the "Islamic"-ness of the murderers then it is worth making it painfully obvious to the reader that the victims were also Muslims. Failure to do so may make some people think that religous terrorism somehow inspired by Islam may be behind this attack when in fact this heinous crime is as far removed from the teachings of Islam as can possibly be.
This article is given a 'Negative' rating.
The brief ends with the statement "Islamic separatists are thought to be to blame".
One glaring omission is mention of the fact that all those killed in the attack were Muslims carrying out worship. Some may argue that this is obvious as it mentions an attack on a Moque. However if the writer can go to the trouble of pointing out the "Islamic"-ness of the murderers then it is worth making it painfully obvious to the reader that the victims were also Muslims. Failure to do so may make some people think that religous terrorism somehow inspired by Islam may be behind this attack when in fact this heinous crime is as far removed from the teachings of Islam as can possibly be.
This article is given a 'Negative' rating.
Artice Verdict: Negative
Article 2
Headline: Terror suspect 'wanted Blair and Brown dead'
Section: News
Written by: ?
Page: 19
Outline: This article is about the trial of a suspect accused of soliciting the murder of Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. The accused is named as Ishaq Kanmi of Blackburn and his religious or ethnic background is not mentioned.
However there is plenty of mention of Islam and Muslims in the article. Amongst the demands that Mr Kanmi is accused of making is for "...the release of all Muslims..." from Belmarsh Prison. He is also accused of posting the messages soliciting the murder of Mssrs Brown and Blair on a "...Jihadi website". The statement he is alleged to have made is printed as "...In the name of Allah...we the organisation of al Qaida in Britain...".
There is plenty in these short snippets to inform the non Muslim reader about the religious background of the accused. It is also more than likely that the excerpts above will undoubtedly cast the religion of Islam in a negative light hence this article is given a 'Negative' rating.
However there is plenty of mention of Islam and Muslims in the article. Amongst the demands that Mr Kanmi is accused of making is for "...the release of all Muslims..." from Belmarsh Prison. He is also accused of posting the messages soliciting the murder of Mssrs Brown and Blair on a "...Jihadi website". The statement he is alleged to have made is printed as "...In the name of Allah...we the organisation of al Qaida in Britain...".
There is plenty in these short snippets to inform the non Muslim reader about the religious background of the accused. It is also more than likely that the excerpts above will undoubtedly cast the religion of Islam in a negative light hence this article is given a 'Negative' rating.
Artice Verdict: Negative
Article 3
Headline: 250,000 Lancashire bricks to go to the Gulf
Section: Business
Written by: Jill Burdett
Page: 34
Outline: This article is about a firm from Bolton that has secured an order to supply 250,000 bricks which will be used in a new resort being built in Abu Dhabi.
The article provides details of the resort and the name of the company that will be building it. As is often the case with stories that highlight a positive contribution by foreign Muslim countries there is no mention of Abu Dhabi being the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which is a Muslim country. Now if we follow the rules of the Press Complaints Commission code of practice then th religious background shouldn't be mentioned when it isn't relevant to the story and in this case it clearly isn't. However the reason I am flagging this is because we see the code of practice violated with stories where there is a negative association to be made with Muslims. So my argument is that if it can be violated for negative stories then why not positive stories too?
Doing so would show readers that in times of recession a foreign Muslim country has placed an order with a local North West firm which will no doubt help secure jobs of those people who will be involved in the deal. That is something to celebrate and shout about, but alas the opportunity is missed.
Based purely on the content of the article I have to give it a 'Neutral' rating but this represents a missed opportunity.
The article provides details of the resort and the name of the company that will be building it. As is often the case with stories that highlight a positive contribution by foreign Muslim countries there is no mention of Abu Dhabi being the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which is a Muslim country. Now if we follow the rules of the Press Complaints Commission code of practice then th religious background shouldn't be mentioned when it isn't relevant to the story and in this case it clearly isn't. However the reason I am flagging this is because we see the code of practice violated with stories where there is a negative association to be made with Muslims. So my argument is that if it can be violated for negative stories then why not positive stories too?
Doing so would show readers that in times of recession a foreign Muslim country has placed an order with a local North West firm which will no doubt help secure jobs of those people who will be involved in the deal. That is something to celebrate and shout about, but alas the opportunity is missed.
Based purely on the content of the article I have to give it a 'Neutral' rating but this represents a missed opportunity.
Artice Verdict: Neutral
Metro
Nil Return
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Wednesday 3rd June
Manchester Evening News (City Edition)
Article 1
Headline: Never forget, that these elections are about all of us
Section: Opinion
Written by: David Ottewell
Page: 8
Outline: This large opinion piece by David Ottewell takes up nearly all but a small sliver of page 9 of today's M.E.N
It follows from a front page promotion of this opinion piece where Ottewell's photo is featured next to the quote "A vote for the BNP isn't a protest vote...it's a vote against human decency"
Ottewell dedicates his article to informing the readers about the racist policies of the BNP and is at pains to state that voting for them will not represent a protest vote. This is in reference to the fact that some peole may vote for them in protest at the MP expenses scandal.
The article features a photo of 2 prominent sportsmen from Greater Manchester, footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips of Manchester City and Boxer Amir Khan.
In one paragraph Ottewell writes that a vote for the BNP isn't a vote against Brown, Cameron or Clegg but rather it's a vote against these sports personalities. He states that the "...only one fact you need to know about the BNP; they want black and Asian Britons to leave their home country"
Ottewell's efforts and passions must be applauded as he has clearly taken a stand against extremism however it wouldn't have done any harm to point out that the BNP has also taken a very public stance against Islam as visible from their website. Ottewell celebrates Amir Khan as one of Manchester's prominent sons but fails to tell readers that Amir Khan is a proud British Muslim too.
After reading the article I sense a missed opportunity to tell the readers the full facts about the BNP and the fact that their hatred extends to those who practice Islam as their faith.
However taking into consideration the bigger picture and his very passionate stance against the BNP this opinion piece is given a 'Positive' rating
Artice Verdict: Positive
Article 2
Headline: He's a superstar double, by George
Section: The Diary
Written by: Dianne Bourne
Page: 11
Outline: This is a lighthearted article about 43 Abdullah Simsek who bears a resemblance to Hollywood superstar George Clooney.
The article describes Mr Simsek's background as a restaurant owner and the highs and lo's he's endured because of his resemblance to George Clooney including his separation from his wife of 14 years.
It talks about Mr Simsek's ambitions to go to America and try and get signed up as Clooney's double and also his desire to date celebrity Lisa Snowdon.
The article doesn't mention his religious background and is presented as a lighthearted story. It's one of those stories where you think to yourself how come no one mentions that fact that they're Muslim when there's no violence involved in the news report? Mentioning that fact that Mr Simsek is Muslim would have allowed readers to see other stories about Muslims that are not always related to acts of violence and thus help to broaden their outlook with regards to Muslims.
Unfortunately this is another 'missed opportunity' by the M.E.N however it conforms to the Press Complaints Commission's code of conduct which stipulates that a person's religious background should not be mentioned if it bears no relevance to the story therefore this article is given a 'Neutral' rating.
Artice Verdict: Neutral
Article 3
Headline: Top Taliban Commander is killed in copter strike
Section: News - International
Written by: Wesley Johnson
Page: 12
Outline: This brief article is presented in a narrow column on page 12 next to a more dominating story related to the tragic crash of the Air France airliner in the Atlantic.
This article reports on the death of "a TALIBAN leader" where the word Taliban is capitalised for increased prominence. The "leader" is named as Mullah Mansur and the circumstances leading to his killing are detailed including the location which is given as "Helmand Province".
Overall the article doesn't make any reference to the religious background of any of the people mentioned nor does it mention any faith thus this is given a 'Neutral' rating.
Artice Verdict: Neutral
Article 4
Headline: Nursing team providing care at home for sick youngsters
Section: News
Written by: ?
Page: 15
Outline: This article talks about new nursing arrangements which are seeing community nurses from the new Children's Hospital in Manchester providing care to children in their homes in the Manchester area.
It focuses on 2 year Mohamad Rofdzi who is featured in a photo with his parents. His mum is wearing the Hijab (Islamic Headscarf). Little Mohammad Rofdzi suffers from eczema but thanks to the new set up will benefit by not having to spend as much time in the Hospital.
Information is provided about the new Children's Hospital in Manchester which is due to open in 2 weeks and statements are given by the little boy's father who is also called Mohammad where he is quoted as commending the work of the community nurses.
The article is factual and is a nice feek good story that doesn't mention the religious background of the Rofdzi family, thus it's given a 'Neutral' rating.
Artice Verdict: Neutral
Metro
Nil Return
Article 1
Headline: Never forget, that these elections are about all of us
Section: Opinion
Written by: David Ottewell
Page: 8
Outline: This large opinion piece by David Ottewell takes up nearly all but a small sliver of page 9 of today's M.E.N
It follows from a front page promotion of this opinion piece where Ottewell's photo is featured next to the quote "A vote for the BNP isn't a protest vote...it's a vote against human decency"
Ottewell dedicates his article to informing the readers about the racist policies of the BNP and is at pains to state that voting for them will not represent a protest vote. This is in reference to the fact that some peole may vote for them in protest at the MP expenses scandal.
The article features a photo of 2 prominent sportsmen from Greater Manchester, footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips of Manchester City and Boxer Amir Khan.
In one paragraph Ottewell writes that a vote for the BNP isn't a vote against Brown, Cameron or Clegg but rather it's a vote against these sports personalities. He states that the "...only one fact you need to know about the BNP; they want black and Asian Britons to leave their home country"
Ottewell's efforts and passions must be applauded as he has clearly taken a stand against extremism however it wouldn't have done any harm to point out that the BNP has also taken a very public stance against Islam as visible from their website. Ottewell celebrates Amir Khan as one of Manchester's prominent sons but fails to tell readers that Amir Khan is a proud British Muslim too.
After reading the article I sense a missed opportunity to tell the readers the full facts about the BNP and the fact that their hatred extends to those who practice Islam as their faith.
However taking into consideration the bigger picture and his very passionate stance against the BNP this opinion piece is given a 'Positive' rating
Artice Verdict: Positive
Article 2
Headline: He's a superstar double, by George
Section: The Diary
Written by: Dianne Bourne
Page: 11
Outline: This is a lighthearted article about 43 Abdullah Simsek who bears a resemblance to Hollywood superstar George Clooney.
The article describes Mr Simsek's background as a restaurant owner and the highs and lo's he's endured because of his resemblance to George Clooney including his separation from his wife of 14 years.
It talks about Mr Simsek's ambitions to go to America and try and get signed up as Clooney's double and also his desire to date celebrity Lisa Snowdon.
The article doesn't mention his religious background and is presented as a lighthearted story. It's one of those stories where you think to yourself how come no one mentions that fact that they're Muslim when there's no violence involved in the news report? Mentioning that fact that Mr Simsek is Muslim would have allowed readers to see other stories about Muslims that are not always related to acts of violence and thus help to broaden their outlook with regards to Muslims.
Unfortunately this is another 'missed opportunity' by the M.E.N however it conforms to the Press Complaints Commission's code of conduct which stipulates that a person's religious background should not be mentioned if it bears no relevance to the story therefore this article is given a 'Neutral' rating.
Artice Verdict: Neutral
Article 3
Headline: Top Taliban Commander is killed in copter strike
Section: News - International
Written by: Wesley Johnson
Page: 12
Outline: This brief article is presented in a narrow column on page 12 next to a more dominating story related to the tragic crash of the Air France airliner in the Atlantic.
This article reports on the death of "a TALIBAN leader" where the word Taliban is capitalised for increased prominence. The "leader" is named as Mullah Mansur and the circumstances leading to his killing are detailed including the location which is given as "Helmand Province".
Overall the article doesn't make any reference to the religious background of any of the people mentioned nor does it mention any faith thus this is given a 'Neutral' rating.
Artice Verdict: Neutral
Article 4
Headline: Nursing team providing care at home for sick youngsters
Section: News
Written by: ?
Page: 15
Outline: This article talks about new nursing arrangements which are seeing community nurses from the new Children's Hospital in Manchester providing care to children in their homes in the Manchester area.
It focuses on 2 year Mohamad Rofdzi who is featured in a photo with his parents. His mum is wearing the Hijab (Islamic Headscarf). Little Mohammad Rofdzi suffers from eczema but thanks to the new set up will benefit by not having to spend as much time in the Hospital.
Information is provided about the new Children's Hospital in Manchester which is due to open in 2 weeks and statements are given by the little boy's father who is also called Mohammad where he is quoted as commending the work of the community nurses.
The article is factual and is a nice feek good story that doesn't mention the religious background of the Rofdzi family, thus it's given a 'Neutral' rating.
Artice Verdict: Neutral
Metro
Nil Return
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Monday 1st June
Manchester Evening News (City Edition)
No copy of the M.E.N was available today
Metro
Article 1
Headline: Israelis take cover in 5-day was drill
Section: World Digest
Written by: ?
Page: 14
Outline: This news brief starts off by telling readers that "the biggest defence drill in the country's (Israel's) history began yesterday...".
It is a news brief about War Games conducted by Israel to simulate a possible confrontation with Iran. I've highlighted the word 'defence' because its use in the opening sentence is an attempt to make the readers believe that Israel in under risk of attack. The article goes on to mention that the War Games come "at a time of rising tension with Iran". There's also mention that civilians are also part of the War Games and that they "will have to take cover in shelters".
It ends with a statement by Israeli Prime Minister "Benjamin Netanyahu" (more commonly known as Bin Yamin Netanyahu) who says "The fact that Israel is preparing and is capable of better protecting its citizens decreases the chance we'll have to use these tools".
All in all the story presented is one of a country taking defensive measures to protect its citizens from a possible attack by a hostile country.
Some facts conveniently left out of this very brief article are that Israel has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran to destroy its Civilian Nuclear plants alleging that they are actually being used for military purposes, a claim that's unproven. Another fact left out is that Israel is the only country in the Middle East to actually possess an arsenal of Nuclear Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Instead we have one of the most aggressive leaders in the Middle East portrayed as a noble leader looking after his citizens welfare when the reality couldn't be farther from the truth.
This article gets a 'Negative' rating for misrepresenting the facts and not giving readers the full story.
Artice Verdict: Negative
Article 2
Headline: Swat victory 'imminent' as fighting moves south
Section: News
Written by: Ross McGuinness
Page: 15
Outline: This article is about the military operation being carried out by the Pakistan Army in the Swat region to drive out the Taliban.
The article is actually presented with just the facts using quotes from Government and Military sources in Pakistan. It also includes a witness testimony from a local resident who is named as 'Mohammed Nisar'.
A photo of a bus is featured which is shown ferrying residents out of the main town in Swat.
This is a mainly factual piece by McGuinness and there is no mention of the words 'Islam' or 'Muslims' hence this is given a 'Neutral' rating.
Artice Verdict: Neutral
No copy of the M.E.N was available today
Metro
Article 1
Headline: Israelis take cover in 5-day was drill
Section: World Digest
Written by: ?
Page: 14
Outline: This news brief starts off by telling readers that "the biggest defence drill in the country's (Israel's) history began yesterday...".
It is a news brief about War Games conducted by Israel to simulate a possible confrontation with Iran. I've highlighted the word 'defence' because its use in the opening sentence is an attempt to make the readers believe that Israel in under risk of attack. The article goes on to mention that the War Games come "at a time of rising tension with Iran". There's also mention that civilians are also part of the War Games and that they "will have to take cover in shelters".
It ends with a statement by Israeli Prime Minister "Benjamin Netanyahu" (more commonly known as Bin Yamin Netanyahu) who says "The fact that Israel is preparing and is capable of better protecting its citizens decreases the chance we'll have to use these tools".
All in all the story presented is one of a country taking defensive measures to protect its citizens from a possible attack by a hostile country.
Some facts conveniently left out of this very brief article are that Israel has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran to destroy its Civilian Nuclear plants alleging that they are actually being used for military purposes, a claim that's unproven. Another fact left out is that Israel is the only country in the Middle East to actually possess an arsenal of Nuclear Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Instead we have one of the most aggressive leaders in the Middle East portrayed as a noble leader looking after his citizens welfare when the reality couldn't be farther from the truth.
This article gets a 'Negative' rating for misrepresenting the facts and not giving readers the full story.
Artice Verdict: Negative
Article 2
Headline: Swat victory 'imminent' as fighting moves south
Section: News
Written by: Ross McGuinness
Page: 15
Outline: This article is about the military operation being carried out by the Pakistan Army in the Swat region to drive out the Taliban.
The article is actually presented with just the facts using quotes from Government and Military sources in Pakistan. It also includes a witness testimony from a local resident who is named as 'Mohammed Nisar'.
A photo of a bus is featured which is shown ferrying residents out of the main town in Swat.
This is a mainly factual piece by McGuinness and there is no mention of the words 'Islam' or 'Muslims' hence this is given a 'Neutral' rating.
Artice Verdict: Neutral
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