Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
Newspapers are unable, seemingly, to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilization. - George Bernard Shaw
The Portland Press Herald has formally apologized to readers for covering on their front page peaceful Muslims celebrating the close of Ramadan on 9/11, instead of covering events remembering the terrorist attacks.
This sparks a debate over the proper function of newspapers.
I suppose on the one side folks who skew toward completely objective reporting (is there such thing?) might say, "If that's what is happening on that day, report it."
On the other hand, editors live for a reason. Some might say the sensitivities of the day impose themselves on the events of the day. The 9/11 remembrance coverage should have dominated the front page.
So was this an editorial blunder, or was the paper acting properly for reporting what they saw going on around them?
Should peaceful Muslims object to the apology for having to take a back seat due to the actions of Islamo-fascists whose values they don't share?
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Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
...or were the editors making a conscious decision to highlight peaceful Muslims over non-peaceful Muslims in an attempt at political correctness? Should I even put a question mark at the end of this sentence? The better front page would have been side-by-side photos, demonstrating two sides of modern Islam. Any decent editor who didn't have an agenda would have done it that way.
Aug '10
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
Tommy De Seno:
The Portland Press Herald has formally apologized to readers for covering on their front page peaceful Muslims celebrating the close of Ramadan on 9/11, instead of covering events remembering the terrorist attacks.
I'm surprised they apologized. And that the apology was not more glib.
Tommy De Seno:
I suppose on the one side folks who skew toward completely objective reporting (is there such thing?) might say, "If that's what is happening on that day, report it."
There is no such thing as completely objective reporting. Human beings are incapable of complete objectivity. On the other hand, we are capable of honesty.
As Sowell puts it, "If there is anyone who is objective, it is hard to imagine how others who are not objective would know that. The unattainability of objectivity is too often a distraction from something that is more mundane but often absent -- honesty... Objectivity is too often a red herring."
Jun '10
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
Ah, but did the controversy sell more papers? I submit that tongue-in-cheek, sort of.
May '10
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
Well, putting aside the hype accompanying any story that feeds into the media's favorite meme of America's Islamophobia, I believe it was the fact that the newspaper made no mention of the anniversary of 9/11/10 while celebrating Ramadan that galled some readers.
If that is the case, their "We are sorry you are offended" and "we were going to mention it on 9/12" appears to be thin gruel.
May '10
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
Should a newspaper's front page highlight news, editorials, either or both?
The placement of that particular story on the front page for that particular day is not unreasonable, but it would seem to be implied commentary if it were placed as the headliner (the most significant news of the day).
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
I still wonder, Tommy, about a newsroom where the editorial staff are composing the front page for September 11th, and they don't instantly think of the obvious. I imagine they all sat around stroking their chins -- September 11th....September 11th...I know it rings a bell....I mean, something happened, right?....September 11th....This is going to drive me crazy.....Should we Google it?....September 11th....September 11th.....something to do with Muslims?....is it....no....is it Ramadan? Yes! That's it! Ramadan! Let's go with Ramadan!
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
Very funny Rob Long! But you are right. What do you think of their excuse that they were saving it all for 9/12?
Cover?
Aug '10
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
It's interesting because neither the anniversary of 9/11 nor the end of Ramadan are what comes to mind when you think of "news." On the one hand you have not an actual event, but the anniversary of a (huge) event. On the other hand you have a religious minority celebrating a major holiday. I certainly hope Maine's Muslim community had a reflective Ramadan and a festive Eid, but let's face it, it's the kind of thing that most papers would treat as a puff piece in the B section.
However it seems like the Portland Press Herald positions itself as a community paper, in which case it strikes me as entirely normal that they'd have a front page story on Eid. Or to put it another way, if this paper occasionally writes front page stories about Dio de Los Muertos, or Sukkot, or Ash Wednesday, then it strikes me as entirely reasonable that Eid would also get the same treatment every few years. On the other hand, if this paper's front page is usually dedicated to covering legislation, elections, wars, macro-economics, major scientific discoveries, etc., then this does seem like pedantic PC.
Edited on Sep 15, 2010 at 12:01pmRe: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
anon_academic: Great perspective. If I combine yours with Rob's comment, I think I come to the conclusion made in Jim Chase's comment:
Publicity stunt to sell newpapers.
They had to know bumping 9/11 terrorism remembrances for Ramadan was going to stir up emotion.
May '10
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
On the other hand, how long will newspapers commemorate 9/11 every year? How long before they can move such stories to the back pages without seeming inconsiderate? As anon_academic says, 9/11 is no longer news... or, rather, it is news only so long as its rememberance affects modern events. Surely, that must fade at some point.
How long did newspapers continue to commemorate Pearl Harbor on every December 7th? Or did they?
Jun '10
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
America: I don't think it was funny to privilege Ramadan over 9/11 on 9/11.
Portland Press Herald: Too soon?
May '10
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
Aaron, your point is well taken, but I would think that 9/11 remains news as long as our troops are actively engaged in Afghanistan and Iraq. When the danger to the troops has lessened significantly, then we can talk about letting it fade a bit.
No reason to apologize for the Ramadan coverage, necessarily. Lots of reason to apologize for the lack of 9/11 coverage.
May '10
Re: Newspaper Apology For Showing Muslims Being Peaceful?
I'm not so sure about that. These people have no idea what their audience thinks or feels, cocooned as they are in their liberal PC bubble. That's one reason the newspaper business is dying. The reaction probably came as a harsh surprise to the editors.