The AP Lede On the Lebanon Tribunal Is Rank Bias

By
Omri Ceren
– November 25, 2006Posted in: Anti-Israel Journalism, Lebanon and Hezbollah

Lebanon has just taken a historic step to remove the shackles of Syrian influence in their country. They have approved a UN tribunal to investigate the Hariri murder – this despite a campaign designed to destroy the cabinet by literally murdering so many members that it would have to dissolve itself. What’s the Associated Press headline and lede?

Cabinet decision pushes Lebanon to danger point – Lebanon’s political crisis moved toward a new danger point Saturday as the U.S.-backed government approved an international tribunal for suspects in the 2005 assassination of a former prime minister Rafik Hariri despite warnings of mass protests by its opponent Hezbollah.

Yeah, because that’s the significant and salient part of the story. That the “US-backed government” is pushing the country “toward a new danger point”. That’s the take-away that you want the 90-plus percent of people who never get past the first paragraph to get.

Soviet papers were more subtle.

Previously: Associated Press: “We are all Hezbollah” is Not Anti-Israel, Stark Contrasts Watch – Israel Can’t Go After Terrorists, But Hamas Is Allowed To Call For Genocide, AP Headline and Lede: Syrian War Against Israel Would Be “Resistance”

Related Mere Rhetoric Posts: