Fox won’t cover Koran-burning; AP to block pictures

By Daniel Tencer
Thursday, September 9, 2010 18:01 EST
Print
 
Topics:
 

With concern growing among some journalists that the coverage of a Florida church’s planned Koran-burning could cause harm to Americans, some major news sources are saying they will limit their reporting on the event.

The Associated Press announced Thursday that it will not distribute images or audio of the event, and will seek to highlight that the event is being carried out by a small congregation.

“Should the event happen on Saturday, the AP will not distribute images or audio that specifically show Qurans being burned, and will not provide detailed text descriptions of the burning,” AP deputy managing editor told staff in a memo, as cited at The Hill.

“With the exception of these specific images and descriptions, we expect to cover the Gainesville event, in all media, placing the actions of this group of about 50 people in a clear and balanced context,” he added.

But Fox News on Thursday told the Baltimore Sun that it will not cover the event at all.

“We do not cover every flag burning that happens in this country. We don’t run every hostage tape,” Fox News senior vice president Michael Clemente told the Sun. “If we tried to cover everyone who wants us to stick a camera in front of them, we’d run out of cameras pretty fast each day. But this is really about just using some judgment.”

That places Fox News apart from the other major networks. ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC have all confirmed to TV Newser that they plan to cover the event. Not surprisingly, some media observers have suggested that Fox’s decision to stay away was ideologically motivated, as the station identifies itself at times with the Christian conservative movement.

The Dove World Outreach Center, a small church in Gainesville, Florida, has gained a great deal of attention over the past few weeks with its announcement of an “international burn-a-Koran day” to take place on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

But the concerns that images of the Koran-burning could inflame anti-American anger in the Muslim world has reached the highest levels of the US government and the international community. Following condemnations by Gen. David Petraeus, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, State Secretary Hillary Clinton and President Obama himself, the international police association Interpol issued a “global alert” warning of an “increased terror risk” from the burning.

“If the proposed Koran burning by a pastor in the US goes ahead as planned, there is a strong likelihood that violent attacks on innocent people would follow,” the Interpol statement said.

And indeed evidence is growing that some extremist religious and political leaders plan to exploit the event for their own aims. In Kabul, hundreds of Afghans protested the Koran-burning Thursday, chanting “Death to the Christians.” And an Islamic activist in Britain has called for a “retaliatory” burning of US flags, which he has dubbed “burn the Stars and Stripes day.”

Meanwhile, ABC News reports that “insurgents in Afghanistan are trying to inflame villagers against the US by passing out leaflets that detail plans by a Florida minister to ignite a bonfire of Korans this weekend.”

The issue has sparked up a debate at NPR’s Two-Way news blog, where a reader writes, “Crack-pots can be crack-pots in their own little world. But the news media and those of us who follow it are encouraging them to be crack-pots and that’s what’s not okay.”

“When a story like this reaches the saturation point in the media, there are always those who say that news outlets are giving it too much attention and that it’s just not “news’,” writes NPR’s Mark Memmott. “There’s always the option, of course, of not tuning in or reading about it.”

Daniel Tencer
Daniel Tencer
Share this story >>
Print
 
 
 
By commenting, you agree to our terms of service
and to abide by our commenting policy.
 
  • Winski

    HA! Wonder why?? They started this so shouldn’t they be FORCED to carry every minute of Pappy Jones day and night – forever??

    What a complete waste of a complete news cycle…. Fox and Pappy..

  • Anonymous

    pastor sez won’t do it? I smell bartbright

  • Geezer

    Defuse these nutjobs by simply ignoring them. No media coverage. Zero.

  • Anonymous

    Fox doesn’t cover embarrassments by right-wingers. It’s amazing they can fill their airtime.

  • PrissyPatriot

    “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

  • felixthecat

    “”Should the event happen on Saturday, the AP will not distribute images or audio that specifically show Qurans being burned, and will not provide detailed text descriptions of the burning,”

    Not because it is not news, but because they are afraid of Islamic violence. Everyone seems to be quaking in their shoes at the thought of offending Muslims, and turning moderates into radicals.

    And yet, is this fear “Islamophobia”, or is it a rational fear? Depending on who’s doing the fearing, I suppose.

  • An_American

    What’s the big deal? The other big 5 (news) infomercial corporate outlets block 99% of the stories that come out. Especially when it comes to Americans keeping their freedom. If they don’t outright lie, they just simply omit the truth. You plebes are so brainwashed. You really should read more about the country you live in. And no I DO NOT WATCH Fox. Unless theirs a fluff piece that catches my eye.

  • Anonymous

    Now the press is scrambling to affix blame for the ballooning of this story to everyone they can – except themselves.

  • Anonymous

    It was William Randolph Hearst, goebbels-headline that told us that the USS Maine was torpedoed, when actually the boiler blew. It threw the US right into the Spanish-American war.

    Why would FAUX NEWS be any different.

  • Boltbag

    Evil Spirits Now Haunt the Fake News Corp. What goes round, comes round.

  • Anonymous

    Are white people doing it anymore; or we just going to focus on Muslims, and the President? Find some hobbies. Look don’t let the far right rule what has always been even rational republicans. My uncle’s health is failing him and he was a republican, successful and hearty. Now you have Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck and every other nutcase running your party. Neither Rush nor Glen have ever even tried to pursue a college degree. and I cannot imagine them being romantics (you know what I mean) Sarah couldn’t complete a course if it was already paid for. And Republicans need to stop the lies about the polls. We need to try to pull this country together now for our children and grand children and the true meaning of even our existence. My God!

  • Anonymous

    You might want to consider taking some courses there yourself, Buddy….

  • Anonymous

    Let’s be honest: Fox News’ entire audience, all teabaggers, and virtually every single person who attended Beckerhead’s rally (mostly the same people) represent the modern vestige of the old white supremacist establishment. Needless to say, shame on any Catholics or Jews who belong to any of those groups, because by association they are betraying their own cultures and don’t even seem to realize it. The Beck rally was a thinly-veiled Klan rally; not one word of substance was uttered during the entire thing. When are these people going to come out and admit they’re pissed off just because the President is black? They want to take America back…to the 19th century.

  • godistwaddle

    Oh, come on! Fox has done more than any institution other than the pentagon and two administrations to turn Mrkn kids into war criminals, corpses, and amputees. They can’t be serious about missing an opportunity like this!!

  • Anonymous

    News Corp can’t afford to offend their Saudi Arabian stockholders. Orders from Riyadh.

  • Anonymous

    FOXNEWS elevated this creep and covered him as much as the Terry Shiavo nuts. They elevate and cover these groups and non-stories like the teabaggers, then when they grow, become more well known and nuttier, they deny them and walk away and say “who, us?” Guarantee you this guy is a tea party voter, a Sarah Palin worshipper and probably will be a FOXNEWS analyst when this is all done, praised as a ‘real patriot’ trying to ‘take his country back’…whatever that means.

  • Anonymous

    FOXNEWS elevated this creep and covered him as much as the Terry Shiavo nuts. They elevate and cover these groups and non-stories like the teabaggers, then when they grow, become more well known and nuttier, they deny them and walk away and say “who, us?” Guarantee you this guy is a tea party voter, a Sarah Palin worshipper and probably will be a FOXNEWS analyst when this is all done, praised as a ‘real patriot’ trying to ‘take his country back’…whatever that means.

  • Anonymous

    It is the likes of Fox News that brought us to this mess. Fox News stoking the flames of hatred for years now. Can’t back away from your base now.

  • Anonymous

    It is the likes of Fox News that brought us to this mess. Fox News stoking the flames of hatred for years now. Can’t back away from your base now.

  • Anonymous

    You can bet they’ll cover counter-protests in Muslim countries.

  • Anonymous

    While most of us were growing up or not here yet, the repubs put into plan a take over of our country. They realized that in order to do so, they must take over the courts and media message. This started way back with Reagan. They have the courts and a massive media machine (Fox & total domination of hate talk radio) the likes we’ve never seen. In many parts of the country only right wing talk radio is heard. Americans do not hear both sides.

    If you notice, those of us with differing political ideas are now their enemy who they claim want to destroy our country. We are lumped in with the terrorists, Taliban, and Al Qaeda. They refuse to believe that our Constitution and country really applies to those who are not white evangelical Christians. They should be known for who they really are: Repub Christians not followers of the Prince of Peace. They hate our diversity that grew over the last 20 years.

    Repubs have only angry white folks on their side (I am white). Yes, they will win seats in November since the elections are district by district races. But who will support them in 2012? Repubs can not win national elections with only angry white voters. Personally, I am totally offended and disgusted by these repubs. I just find it so hard to believe that voters will turn to the repubs who offer nothing as far as policies go in November.

  • Anonymous

    It’s not as simple as you make it sound. In many parts of the country, Americans only hear the hate of right wingers. They do not hear both sides of issues any more unless it is to demonize those who do not think like them.

    Wake up. Look around at what is really going on.

  • Anonymous

    Stop being such a self-important, pompous ass. Of course, MOST Americans have access to hear all kinds of points of view. Do you really think that if you could just whisper in their ear, they would agree with YOU? You are no more informed than any other yahoo on the street.

    Pfft. Come on. Please.

  • Guest

    Another racist rant from a paid troll.. Yawn. Race card doesn’t work any more dude. Same old thing…The formula is: call whites klan members and then say everything is b/c someone’s black.

  • Guest

    cary, it sounds like you need some pig’s blood poured pn your head.

  • Anonymous

    Wow. What a maure person you are! Why do repubs always resort to hateful name calling when they have no facts and don’t know what they are talking about?

    What planet do you live on? You are really mistaken about all this. If you could hear all the folks who call progressive talk radio saying that they have no way to hear progressive talk radio except on the internet. Do you even realize that Washington DC doesn’t have a progressive talk radio station?

    So before you resort to hateful name calling, please check your facts. You don’t know what is going on out here. So come on, please, yourself.

  • Guest

    Too much alcohol and pills for you. Get Help.

  • Guest

    Is it because Faux News doesn’t hire enough Jews? Man, if you guys would focus on the other infomercial outlets, you might really effect some change because not many people even watch Faux.. All you people do in here is bash white people, or as I like to say, the hand that feeds you. Lots of rabid white haters, racists and self-haters are Democrats I guess. Jeez. Don’t try to hide it or anything. Go read your posts below. If I was black, you people would all be klan members if the roles were reversed.

  • Need_a_bodyguard

    After reading the posts below, I almost feel like joining the KKK for protection from you creeps.

  • Ohandy_1

    I went back to school at 40. The crap they spew is best avoided if you can make a living without it.

    I find college horribly biased and inconsistent. I think Rush has more power of critical thinking than the whole of the faculty.

    By contrast you claim intellegence by simply denouncing your philosophical opponents as idiots. You offer zero validation, just accuse. I’m thinking you need a refresher course in debate class…

  • http://twitter.com/shivabeach Shiva

    Rush does not employ critical thinking. Lies, innuendo, rumors and half truths are not critical thinking. Rush simply does propaganda daily, none of which ever comes true

  • Ohandy_1

    What benefit has come of any publicity for this act? the burning of the qur’ans is no worse than than stepping on an American flag (i’d say worse) but should every idiot who defaces a flag get national attention?

    Why are Muslims different? Why is it OK for the majority here to say the most hateful things possible by the english language about Christianity but not a single insensitive word is allowed about muslims? Be consistent.

    Muslims are as hateful of Western Liberal Culture as they are of Christians. Perhaps even more so.

    If this were a muslim burning a bible (which happens all the time) no one would care. Christians aren’t likely to kill anyone over it so it’s not news.

    If anyone really cared about tollerance and human rights they would shout the loudest against the “religion of peace”. The Qur’an has no teachings of tollerance, it does say hundreds of times that non-muslims should be converted, subjucated, or killed. period.

    before you claim this statement is hateful I recommend you read the Qur’an. it’s simply a statement of fact with no bias against muslims as people.

    So why carry this story? Is a few dozen folks burning a book a bigger story than other 9-11 anniversery stories? It has been blown out of proportion and oddly become a story of how quick libs can be drawn into a controversy.

  • Anonymous

    You were the one making pompous generalizations. As you just stated, technology has made it possible for people to hear all kinds of viewpoints.

    Your is just likely not the best one for everyone. That’s why you feel so lonely.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lon-Warneke/1409625620 Lon Warneke

    I don’t believe for a nano-second the FOX News lie that they won’t cover the Koran-burning, if or when it occurs, especially since ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC have all confirmed to that they plan to cover the event.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Lon-Warneke/1409625620 Lon Warneke

    I don’t believe for a nano-second that FOX News won’t cover the Koran burning, if or when it occurs, given that they wouldn’t want to have their brain-dead audience seek out the event on the other networks that have said they will be covering the story.

  • Ohandy_1

    Nothing makes libs more hateful than telling the truth about them. Wish Fox has a couple more Glenn Becks…

  • Anonymous

    Not very bright, are you?

  • Anonymous

    Fox is big into censorship by omission. They didn’t cover their gift to the RGA, Dr. Laura’s rant, or Mehlman coming our. They are not going to intentionally piss off theor Saudi overlords.

  • Anonymous

    their

  • Anonymous

    ok, I’ll say it:

    BOTH christians AND muslims are foolish and silly

    if there was a god, there would be no religion

    feel better now?

  • Anonymous

    no, but I hear he’s “handy”

  • Anonymous

    poor little redneck

    the wheels must have come off your house

  • Anonymous

    We’re not talking about people who read.

    We’re talking about right wingers.

  • Anonymous

    you bigots are so transparent

    hilarious that you think you are convincing anyone

  • Anonymous

    Fox just wants to push the meme that “all muslims are dangerous and if we show this, we’ll be attacked”

    It’s all part of the “scare white people – all the time” philosophy of Fox “news”

  • Bodyg

    The wheels came off your mom.

  • Bodyg

    The wheels came off your mom.

  • Anonymous

    Gee that’s funny because it looks like RAW STORY is giving this non-story just as much coverage as FOX. I’d have to say that RAW STORY is stoking hatred JUST as much as FOX.

  • Samadams

    Brain dead? Like MSNBC or CNN? Now there is honest, unbiased reporting for you. wake up.

  • http://pornoizle-x.info/uncategorized/happy-black-mechanic-has-to-fix-two-hot-holes/ porno izle

    I assumed it was likely being some unexciting old report, nevertheless it definitely compensated for my time. I most unquestionably will post a link to this article on my web page. I am convinced my visitors are planning to find that realistically helpful.

  • http://www.homefortalent.us Treatment for Hemorrhoid

    Nice site. Nice piece of info, I look forward to reading more of your posts.

  • http://www.rss4medics.com/rss_directory/rssfeeds2.php?feed=http://www.soumettre.net/feed Clarita Prizzi

    Read effective weight loss and diet reviews and learn how can you lose weightCLICK HERE

  • http://mrkitchens.co.uk Darleen Casner

    Just wanted to give you a shout from the valley of the sun, great information. Much appreciated.