The Listening Post

Double standards in the Paris attacks coverage

We examine whether there’s a double standard for victims of terrorism; plus, fixers: the unsung heroes of journalism.

As news of the attacks in Paris was breaking, Facebook launched a feature allowing its users to “check-in” and let their family members and friends know they were safe.

It also introduced a feature that allowed users to overlay the colours of the French flag on their profile pictures to express solidarity with the victims of the attacks.

These features prompted many to question a potential double standard: Where were they when dozens were killed in bomb blasts in Beirut a day earlier, or when 149 people lost their lives in Garissa, Kenya back in April?

Critics accused the site of valuing the lives of Western victims more than those in the Middle East and other regions. Meanwhile, journalists covering the story were accused of making unfair accusations, using divisive terminology and xenophobic reactions.

Given ISIL’s objectives to sow discord and provoke repression, did the media play into ISIL’s hands?

Talking us through the story are: Habib Battah, an investigative journalist at Beirut Report; Professor Brian J Phillips from the Center for Research in Mexico; journalist Justin Salhani; Alain Gresh, an editor at Le Monde Diplomatique; and Washington Post journalist, Maura Judkis.


Other news stories on our radar this week: A radio talk show host who reported local government corruption has been murdered in north-eastern Brazil; three weeks after parliamentary elections, critical media channels in Turkey are being removed from the Turksat satellite provider; and two Italian journalists are put under criminal investigation by the Vatican for publishing books about corruption and financial scandals.


Fixers: The unsung heroes of Journalism

Fixers are the talent on the ground whom foreign correspondents often rely on to secure that all-important interview or to make sense of a complex local situation.

Unfortunately, they all too often find themselves in the line of fire and don’t get the credit they deserve.

The Listening Post’s Will Yong shines a light into the work of fixers, often the unsung heroes of journalism.


Lastly, we thought we would never see a new angle on the GoPro video, but against all our expectations, an Irishman on holiday in Las Vegas has provided us one, albeit unwittingly.

Evan Griffin gave his dad, Joseph, a GoPro to film his trip. According to his son, Joseph is a “culchie” – Irish slang for rural folk who are not savvy with the latest technology.

The result turns the classic GoPro video on its head – or, at least, back to front.