To think we should note how quickly the media suggests the causes of attrocities?

[JeremyCunt]

First, and above all, my thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible events in Belgium. I'm so very sorry this has happened.

I think it is notable how quickly the mainstream media suggests who is behind it (this started even before the event - "expect 'revenge attacks' " etc). Facts simply cannot be adequately known at this stage. Certainly there's been no time for any thorough/impartial investigation (not that the impartiality element is likely to ever happen). And yet we're being led quite quickly to certain conclusions ("The attacks come four days after Salah Abdeslam, the main fugitive in the Paris attacks, was seized in Brussels" states the BBC). I'm making no comment about the veracity of these conclusions, but I think they're yet another demonstration of how easy we - the populus - are to lead.

[oliviaclottedcream]

Yes but the argument is that the media do not state directly what they believe, but they fail to create balance by the omission of certain stuff and that they promote, through implication and emphasis, (or lack of), what they believe and its always the gov't line.

I agree with this view to a certain extent, but I do have some reservations.

[sportinguista]

The key might be using several media sources and kind of cross referencing. I know many of the papers have differing takes on things as have the TV. With a DH coming from abroad and reading his country's media we often get different information from there and some stories that are not even reported here.

It is difficult as we do rely on the media to give us information but I guess we always have to use our own judgement as to when we think we are seeing media bias/omission etc.

[LoucheLady]

Christians & Jews: Please stop blowing yourselves up, crucifying people, taking sex slaves, raping minorities, burning people in cages, throwing gays of buildings etc etc

Ever heard of Timothy McVeigh? Anders Breivik? the Lord's Resistance Army? the anti-Balakas? It might not get as widely reported, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[BillSykesDog]

louche, they're on nothing like the same scale. In fact, when looking at the West, if you're having to go back to a bomber from 21 years ago just to find 2 terrorists whose total fatalities are less than Islamists have killed this month alone doesn't that tell you something?