Do American Media Identify with Islamic Terrorists?

Submitted by Margaret Fell (United States), Nov 10, 2002 at 15:40

Daniel Pipes, >>Media across the country as one, however, shut their eyes to this explanation [". . . that Muhammad might have seen himself as a foot soldier in the jihad (holy war) against the United States, and that he took up arms to terrorize Americans.].<<

James Fallows in his book, Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy, posits an example how media unfairly wrote pro-Nafta and pro-GATT treaty articles because the media is now so wealthy they "identify up" and not with the working poor (pp. 82-83).

Mr. Fallows' book was published in 1996, so he does not address contemporary Islamic terrorism.

In your opinion, Mr. Pipes, what in the media perspective has changed so much that they would identify with Islamic terrorists and suppress news important to the functioning of our society?

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Daniel Pipes replies:

I do not believe the media identifies with J.A. Muhammad. It is imprisoned, however, by its self-imposed political constraints.

DP