Journalists Again Reminded To Check Sources

Michael Hedges August 10, 2022 - Follow on Twitter

Observation remains the reporter’s most valuable skill. Aside from creating organized sentences nothing tops being a witness. Sometimes this is not possible and outside sources, at the very least, compliment a story. Reporters are admonished to know their sources because each one comes with a point of view. That reality must, logically, become part of the reporting. But in this post-modern media age, objectivity and veracity have become secondary to offering a certain angle. Now, editors want snappy headlines to attract internet traffic.

A documentary produced for US television network CBS - Arming Ukraine - was released last week (August 4) then abruptly shelved (August 6). At first, CBS News removed promotional material for the documentary that highlighted claims that “only 30% of the supply of Western weapons ultimately reaches the Ukrainian military” because “something happens to it,” reported independent Ukrainian media news portal Detector Media (August 8). Several individuals supporting that contention appeared in the documentary.

The documentary’s lead interview was with Jonas Ohman, founder/principal of support NGO Blue/Yellow, which operates from Lithuania to supply non-lethal aid - i.e. night vision goggles - to Ukrainian troops. The interview was conducted in late April, roughly six weeks after Russian Federation forces invaded Ukraine. “Things have changed,” said a statement from Blue/Yellow (August 6). “In no way is it to suggest that that the support is being ‘sold on the black market’ or ‘stolen’.

“As a former international news editor, I can definitively state that it is a total disgrace and embarrassment for CBS News,” wrote Charles Jay for Daily Kos (August 9). “Edward R. Murrow would be spinning in his grave to see such a report on his network.” Edward R. Murrow reported from London during World War II for CBS Radio, migrated to television and blasted right-wing US politician Joseph McCarthy. He is widely considered one of journalism’s greatest figures.

Also featured in the production was an interview with Amnesty International senior advisor for crisis situations Donatella Rovero, who compared Ukraine to Iraq, suggesting arming Ukraine is “impossible.” By coincidence, Ms Rovero was principle researcher and author of a report from Amnesty International claiming Ukrainian military units were committing war crimes by “setting up in civilian areas.” Amnesty International is a well-known - and oft referenced - international human rights NGO based in the UK.

Amnesty International published the report - “Ukrainian fighting tactics endanger civilians” - last week (August 4). The following day, the NGOs Ukraine branch chief Oksana Pokalchuk resigned, saying “the report was conducted by only foreign investigators, and that the Ukrainian team was deliberately kept out,” reported Swiss daily Le Temps (August 8). That mirrored a complaint leveled by Ukraine Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba that no Ukrainian or US sources were shown” in the CBS News documentary. “Amnesty International's report fails to take into account the fact that the Ukrainian military does not have the freedom to choose where to defend itself,” said international human rights law experts with NGO Global Rights Compliance.

Hubris being overwhelming, Amnesty International secretary general Agnes Callamard issued a statement (August 7) “Ukrainian and Russian social media mobs and trolls: they are all at it today attacking Amnesty investigations. This is called war propaganda, disinformation, misinformation. This won’t dent our impartiality and won’t change the facts.” On Wednesday, (August 10) Amnesty International Sweden co-founder Par Vestberg resigned, “due to Amnesty’s statements regarding the war in Ukraine… with heavy heart.”

Russian propaganda outlets, unsurprisingly, were pleased as punch by the misleading reports, noted Russian exile news portal Meduza (August 6). “With little nuance, (Russian state) media outlets reported on Amnesty International’s findings by focusing almost exclusively on the allegations that the Ukrainian military has endangered civilians and violated international humanitarian law. The coverage ignored Amnesty’s underlying conclusions that Russian and ‘Russian affiliated’ troops are the ones firing on civilians, and that Ukrainian violations of humanitarian law do not in any way justify Russian strikes that kill and injure civilians.” As usual, several right-wing US political figures echoed the Russian sentiment. Elsewhere, UK daily The Times (August 5), published by News UK, principally owned by the Murdoch family, labeled Amnesty International “Putin’s propagandists.”

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