This morning I heard on the radio a discussion about the report that two months ago there was an explosion while scientists were supposedly attempting to fit a warhead with chemical weapons. The discussion was focusing on how this report was leaked.
The reporter said that there is an expression (regarding Syria) that there is a (government) censor in every newsroom (deciding what info to let be publicized). The reporter said that this expression is inaccurate and really it should say there is a reporter in every censorship office.
In other words, the censorship is so pervasive and is much more dominant than the actual news reporting.
I find it ironic that he was criticizing the Syrians in this fashion. Considering it is coming in the wake of the recent incident of a supposed Israeli flyover in which nothing has been reported in Israel about it aside from rumors garnered from the world press. One day we hear it was blowing up a shipment of arms to Hezbollah. Another day - blowing up a nuclear arsenal. Another day - just a flyover. Another day - a syrian bunker. Etc.
But we have no confirmation from Israeli officials.
In other words, we are having censorship at a similar level as that of the Syrians (in this affair at least).
Let me make it clear though - I think it is good it is being kept silent. Sure I am curious like everyone else. But it is good to keep sensitive things like this quiet until more appropriate times. Zahava Galon (MK Meretz) has gone way too far demanding all that happened be revealed. While she does have a point that this government has not earned and does not deserve our trust to perform such activities on its own discretion without public oversight, I still think she is wrong and this is something that should be kept quiet. Not all our laundry needs to be washed in public.
But despite that, it is funny to hear the criticism of Syrian censorship when we have similar censorship.
I think it's totally different. The Syrians control what their media says. The Israeli government allows the media to say what it wants (all comments about A-7 and radio licensing aside), but is under no obligation to inform them of their top secret missions. They can report what they want though. That's hardly censoring.
ReplyDeleteZevy
Zevy,
ReplyDeleteYou are simply wrong. There is a military censor and there are certain things you simply are not allowed to publish/report. Many of the correspondents have made it very clear that they know exactly what happened in but that because of the military censor they cannot say.
Of course there is no comparison to Syria. In Israel censorship is the exception while in Syria it is the rule.
I stand corrected. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteZevy