John Dagge is a journalist who has had articles published in The Herald-Sun and The Sunday Age. He presently teaches English and Academic Writing at the Arab European University in Damascus and studies Arabic at the University of Damascus.
Writing in New Matilda [well worth accessing on line - for the diversity of its articles] in a piece "‘Bad’ Countries and Bad Reporting" addresses the poor reporting of the media and how one-sideness creeps into the approach taken:
"Media feeding frenzies are never pretty, even less so when they are passed off as serious journalism.
The coverage following Israel’s latest attack on Syria has once again highlighted the grave deficiencies of the Western press in covering the region. Speculation passed off as fact, the use of unnamed and compromised sources, a lack of any real evidence, sensationalism and a steadfast refusal to engage in debates that may get in the way of a good story has typified much of the reporting.
Whatever we eventually learn about what happened in the Syrian desert, the double standards which apply to covering countries the mainstream media deems as ‘bad’ expose fatal flaws in the world’s most free media establishments."
Writing in New Matilda [well worth accessing on line - for the diversity of its articles] in a piece "‘Bad’ Countries and Bad Reporting" addresses the poor reporting of the media and how one-sideness creeps into the approach taken:
"Media feeding frenzies are never pretty, even less so when they are passed off as serious journalism.
The coverage following Israel’s latest attack on Syria has once again highlighted the grave deficiencies of the Western press in covering the region. Speculation passed off as fact, the use of unnamed and compromised sources, a lack of any real evidence, sensationalism and a steadfast refusal to engage in debates that may get in the way of a good story has typified much of the reporting.
Whatever we eventually learn about what happened in the Syrian desert, the double standards which apply to covering countries the mainstream media deems as ‘bad’ expose fatal flaws in the world’s most free media establishments."
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