Despite the heavy-handed oppression by the Al Khalifa regime against Bahraini citizens, Western mainstream media outlets have censored the pro-democracy protests in the Persian Gulf kingdom.
Former CNN journalist Amber Lyon has stated that Bahrain is paying the American news network to ignore the regime’s brutal repression and create content that shows Bahrain is in a favorable light.
“What CNN is doing is [that] they are essentially creating what some people have termed 'infomercials for dictators'. And that’s the sponsored content that they are airing on CNN International that is actually being paid for by regimes and governments. And this violates every principle of journalistic ethics,” she said.
Lyon further noted that even though CNN says its content is editorially independent, Bahrain can affect that.
And, the British royal family that has the final say on issues related to the state-funded BBC network, has established close relationships with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
While the Western media keep ignoring the Bahraini regime’s human rights abuses, Manama keeps cracking down on its own population.
Latest reports show Bahrain has even stepped up its campaign of intimidation against pro-democracy activists by arresting a large number of people over the past two months.
The Bahraini uprising began in mid-February 2011. Protesters initially called for political reforms and a constitutional monarchy, a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protests.
Scores have been killed, many of them under torture while in custody, and thousands more have been detained since the popular uprising began in the Persian Gulf kingdom.
Physicians for Human Rights say doctors and nurses have been detained, tortured, or disappeared because they had "evidence of atrocities committed by the authorities, security forces, and riot police" in the crackdown on anti-regime protesters.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Western media keep mum on Bahrain protests
Despite the heavy-handed oppression by the Al Khalifa regime against Bahraini citizens, Western mainstream media outlets have censored the pro-democracy protests in the Persian Gulf kingdom.
Former CNN journalist Amber Lyon has stated that Bahrain is paying the American news network to ignore the regime’s brutal repression and create content that shows Bahrain is in a favorable light.
“What CNN is doing is [that] they are essentially creating what some people have termed 'infomercials for dictators'. And that’s the sponsored content that they are airing on CNN International that is actually being paid for by regimes and governments. And this violates every principle of journalistic ethics,” she said.
Lyon further noted that even though CNN says its content is editorially independent, Bahrain can affect that.
And, the British royal family that has the final say on issues related to the state-funded BBC network, has established close relationships with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
While the Western media keep ignoring the Bahraini regime’s human rights abuses, Manama keeps cracking down on its own population.
Latest reports show Bahrain has even stepped up its campaign of intimidation against pro-democracy activists by arresting a large number of people over the past two months.
The Bahraini uprising began in mid-February 2011. Protesters initially called for political reforms and a constitutional monarchy, a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protests.
Scores have been killed, many of them under torture while in custody, and thousands more have been detained since the popular uprising began in the Persian Gulf kingdom.
Physicians for Human Rights say doctors and nurses have been detained, tortured, or disappeared because they had "evidence of atrocities committed by the authorities, security forces, and riot police" in the crackdown on anti-regime protesters.
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