Take a paragraph from a recent New York Times news story:
The talks with the two leaders had been expected to begin last month but were delayed after Israel announced plans to build 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem, where the Palestinians hope to build their capital. The Palestinians and President Obama were furious at the announcement, made during a visit to Israel by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., and the Americans made a number of demands of Israel aimed at restoring the negotiations
Pretty straightforward? Israel antagonized the United States and the Palestinians by planning to build new apartments in Jerusalem. This is the standard MSM narrative. It requires no critical thought. It is also highly misleading.
Bloggers, however, provide the full truth that the Times (and other MSM outlets) are too lazy to present.
As In Context pointed out, these apartments were hardly a new idea.
Elder of Ziyon points out that, the language used by the Obama administration was out of proportion to the announcement made by Jerusalem’s planning committee. So yes the administration was furious, but its response was disproportionate.
Finally, though he’s not, strictly speaking, a blogger, Barry Rubin writes:
But, by the way, might it be relevant that the PA has refused to talk for 15 months while Israel’s government has been ready to meet during this entire period?
So we wouldn’t know it from the MSM boilerplate but the efforts to get Israel and the Palestinians talking is the result of Palestinian intransigence.
In a sense the paragraph in the Times is correct. But by its omissions it is also misleading – it doesn’t let us know that the building announcement was a longstanding local matter, that the administration used excessively harsh language or that the reason there were no talks was because of a Palestinian refusal to talk with Israel.
And, of course, there are times when the Times just outright misrepresents the truth.
If there weren’t bloggers, these omissions and falsehoods would go unchallenged.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
