The Nation today weighs in on the conclusion of the Raymond Davis episode with an editorial that mostly asks the same questions that are on the minds of many citizens without making any pronouncements or judgments of the court’s decision. However, the editorial concludes by once again flogging the dead horse of ‘sovereignty’ in the […]
Following the release of Raymond Davis per the orders of the court and under the Islamic law, The News published several stories on the front page related to the case. Actually, so many stories were squeezed into the page that it appears as if every employee of Jang Group was given the space to voice […]
An often noted problem with media stems from the competition among a large and growing field of television stations and newspapers. This competition is believed to be responsible for a severe decline in the quality of journalism including the proliferation of conspiracy theories, the use of anonymous sources that promote political bias, sensationalism, and the […]
Ansar Abbasi’s front page article of 12 March is a dangerous game of promoting anti-Americanism and vigilante violence in the country. In the column, Abbasi lists the names of 55 Americans who he terms ‘suspicious’ and ‘alleged to have been spying’. Neither the reporter nor the newspaper present any evidence for these claims, rather they […]
The nation’s propaganda rings are relentless. Even after having been exposed for their true nature by multiple independent outlets, the perpetrators of these conspiracy theories continue unashamed with their media manipulations. The most recent example is especially amusing as it manages to include nearly every possible conspiracy theory rolled into one. As per usual, it […]
This has been a difficult month for conspiracy theorists. First the visa conspiracy was completely debunked when the Embassy in Washington opened the books and showed the data which revealed that the number of visas issued to American officials has been relatively unchanged for decades. Now, the conspiracy theorists other favourite story, drone attacks, is […]
Conspiracy theories continue to dominate the coverage of the ongoing Raymond Davis saga, and it seems that the wilder and less supported by evidence, the more popular the conspiracies become. Ata Rabbani writes in The Nation that Raymond Davis was part of a secret plot to destroy Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. In the first sentence of […]
An editorial in The News describes the Raymond Davis situation as a positive for Pakistan relations with the US as it demonstrates that we are standing up to a global power. But the editorial misses the point of international relations and actually makes Pakistan look foolish in the larger world community. The short piece suggests […]
When the US under President George Bush decided to invade Iraq, a well documented propaganda campaign was undertaken in which the American people were convinced that Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11 attacks – a piece of misinformation that was necessary to justify the invasion of Iraq. The propaganda tactic used was a simple one […]
As the details of the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti begin coming to light, journalists are scrambling to meet deadlines and be the first to have the lead report on the topic. In this rush, mistakes will be made and facts will go unverified. But a much greater problem plagues media accounts – the willingness of […]