Project Censored: AP has bias in favor of those with power!

[AX10]

http://www.projectcensored.org/newsflash/ap_bias.html

"A Study of Bias in the Associated Press
By Peter Phillips, Sarah Randle, Brian Fuch, Zoe Huffman, and Fabrice Romero

On October 25, 2005 the American Civil Liberties (ACLU) posted to their website 44 autopsy reports, acquired from American military sources, covering the deaths of civilians who died while in US military prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2002-2004. A press release by ACLU announcing the deaths resulted from torture was immediately picked up by Associated Press (AP) wire service, making the story available to US corporate media nationwide. A thorough check of Nexus-Lexus and Proquest electronic data bases, using the keywords ACLU and autopsy, showed that at least 95 percent of the daily papers in the US did not to pick up the story nor did AP ever conduct follow up coverage on the issue.

The autopsy reports provide positive proof of widespread torture by US forces. Our research team at Project Censored felt that this story should have been front page news throughout the country. Instead the story was hardly covered and quickly disappeared.
One of forty-four US military autopsy reports reads as follows: “Final Autopsy Report: DOD 003164, (Detainee) Died as a result of asphyxia (lack of oxygen to the brain) due to strangulation as evidenced by the recently fractured hyoid bone in the neck and soft tissue hemorrhage extending downward to the level of the right thyroid cartilage. Autopsy revealed bone fracture, rib fractures, contusions in mid abdomen, back and buttocks extending to the left flank, abrasions, lateral buttocks. Contusions, back of legs and knees; abrasions on knees, left fingers and encircling to left wrist. Lacerations and superficial cuts, right 4th and 5th fingers. Also, blunt force injuries, predominately recent contusions (bruises) on the torso and lower extremities. Abrasions on left wrist are consistent with use of restraints. No evidence of defense injuries or natural disease. Manner of death is homicide. Whitehorse Detainment Facility, Nasiriyah, Iraq.”

A second report describes how a 27-year-old Iraqi male died while being interrogated by Navy Seals on April 5, 2004 in Mosul, Iraq. During his confinement he was hooded, flex-cuffed, sleep deprived and subjected to hot and cold environmental conditions, including the use of cold water on his body and hood. The exact cause of death was “undetermined” although the autopsy stated that hypothermia may have contributed to his death.
Another Iraqi detainee died on January 9, 2004 in Al Asad, Iraq, while being interrogated. He was standing, shackled to the top of a doorframe with a gag in his mouth, at the time he died. The cause of death was asphyxia and blunt force injuries.
Anthony Romero, Executive Director of ACLU stated, “There is no question that US interrogations have resulted in deaths.” ACLU attorney Amrit Sing adds, “These documents present irrefutable evidence that US operatives tortured detainees to death during interrogations.”

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. Thank you for posting this. I thought I was the only one that noticed this.

This pretty much explained it for me:


The AP Board of Directors is made up of 22 newspaper and media executives including the Presidents/CEOs of ABC, Cox News, McClatchy, Gannett, Scripps, Tribune, Hearst, Washington Post and several smaller/regional newspaper chains.

Two directors are members of conservative policy councils including the Hoover Institute and the Business Round Table.

Three are on the board of directors of Mutual Insurance, and one is on the board of the world’s largest defense contractor, Lockheed Martin.

The AP Board represents a solid corporate media network of the largest publishers in the US and provides a clear tilt towards right-wing conservative perspectives. (see appendix for full listing of AP directors)

Appendix

Associate Press Board of Directors

Burl Osborne
Chairman of the AP Board since 2002
Director since 1993 and member of the Executive Committee of The Associated Press
President, Publishing Division from 1995 to 2001
Director from 1987 to 2002 of the Belo Corp.; Publisher Emeritus since 2001
Director at J.C. Penney Holding Company

R. Jack Fishman
President and CEO of Lakeway Publishers, Inc., that produces the Citizen Tribune for the Morristown, Tenn., area, along with the Tullahoma News

Dennis J. FitzSimons
Chairman, President and CEO Tribune, Co.
He is also a member of The Business Council as well as the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago,
Joe Hladky
President and Publisher, The Gazette Co.

Walter E. Hussman Jr.
Publisher, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Hoover Institution Board of Overseers
Julie Inskeep
Publisher, The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Indiana

George B. Irish
President of Hearst Newspapers and a senior vice president of Hearst Corporation.
A past president of the Texas Daily Newspaper Association
He currently serves on the boards of the American Press Institute, the Newspaper Association of America, and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Millikin University

Boisfeuillet (Bo) Jones
Boisfeuillet Jones Jr., publisher and chief executive officer of The Washington Post, has been elected to serve as the Newspaper Association of America’s next chairman He also is a member of the University of Maryland School of Journalism Board of Visitors.

Mary Junck
CEO and Chairman of the Board of Lee Enterprises Inc. chain of 58 mid-West daily newspapers, Former senior executive positions at Times Mirror Company

David Lord
Board member of PAGE buying cooperative and the Newspaper Association of America. He is the current president of the Inland Press Association
.
Kenneth W. Lowe
President, CEO and Director of the E.W. Scripps Company

Douglas H. McCorkindale
At Gannett Co., Inc. he is the Chairman of the board, since 2001. He was the CEO and President from 2000 to 2005, and before that was the Vice Chairman from 1984 to 2001. Board of Directors at Lockheed Martin Corp. Continental Airlines, Inc. and Mutual Insurance Company Ltd

R. John Mitchell
Rutland, Vermont
He is the publisher of the Rutland Herald and long-time publisher of The Times Argus in Barre. He is a charter member of the New England Press Association Hall of Fame.

Steven O. Newhouse
New York, New York
He is the Chairman of Advance.net which runs the Newhouse Papers online and owned by Advance Publications, Inc. which reaches newspapers, cable T.V. and the internet. He is also the Editor in Chief at the Jersey Journal in New Jersey.

Gary Pruitt
Chairman, president, and CEO of the McClatchy Company. He is a board member of the James Irvine Foundation; He is the Secretary of the Board at the Newspaper Association of America and has a seat on the board of directors at Mutual Insurance, Co.

Michael E. Reed
He is the CEO at GateHouse Media Inc., formerly known as Liberty Group Publishing, Inc. He is also on the Board of Directors at the Newspaper Association of America and the Inland Newspaper Association.

Bruce T. Reese
Salt Lake City, UT
He is the President and CEO of Bonneville International Corp,. He is also the Joint Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Broadcasters and on the Board of Directors of the Radio Advertising Bureau

Jon Rust
Publisher at the Southeast Missourian and the Co-President, since 2001 with his brother Rex Rust, at Rust Communications

William Dean Singleton
CEO of MediaNews Group Inc. He is a former Chairman of the Newspaper Association of America, and during his term worked on easing FCC regulations on cross ownership. MediaNews Group is the 55 percent owner of the California Newspaper Partnership, which with the help of Gannett Co. Inc and Stephens was able to purchase from McClatchy the San Jose Mercury and the Contra Costa Times

Jay R. Smith
President of Cox Newspapers, Inc. He is the former, 2005-2006, Chairman of the Board at the Newspaper Association of America. He is the Vice Chairman of the Board at the American Press Institute. He is on the Board of Directors for Mutual Insurance, Co. Ltd.

David Westin
President of ABC News since 1996. He is also a member of the board of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences

H. Graham Woodlief
President of the Publishing Division and the Vice President, since 1989, of Media General Inc. He is the Board Chairman of Southern Production Program Inc.

[AX10]

2. Sadly, no one else around here picked up on this post.

[illinoisprogressive]

3. this is just so sad. What has happened to our souls.

[defendandprotect]

4. The story aside . . .. Didn't Helen Thomas RESIGN from one of the major

news reporting services because it changed hands?

And, hasn't AP changed hands --

And, others?

Original owners are long gone --

In fact, I think at least one of them is now in foreign hands -- ????