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-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted
from the Aug. 1, 1996
issue of Workers World newspaper
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Usually the United States government manufactures the lie and the news media broadcast it over and over, trying to turn the lie into public opinion.
In contrast with the Oklahoma City bomb aftermath, this time government statements about what caused TWA Flight 800 to crash July 17 were cautious. That didn't stop some of the ruling-class media from making up their own lie.
Sam Husseini of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, which monitors the media, said the media "committed many irresponsible acts and unwarranted speculation" especially the first two days. The focus was on "finger pointing at the usual suspects"--meaning Middle Eastern people and Muslims.
The print media in particular went all out, especially in New York, where the crash occurred.
As of July 24 investigators admitted they still had little to go on--yet five days earlier the New York Times had already blared the following front-page banner headline: "INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT EXPLOSIVE DEVICE AS LIKELIEST CAUSE FOR CRASH OF FLIGHT 800."
The article carefully avoided naming any of the "investigators" supposedly harboring these suspicions. It did quote Robert Francis, vice chairperson of the National Transportation Safety Board, who said, "There is no evidence at this point that this is not an accident."
Francis was at least nominally heading the investigation.
So a more accurate Times headline would have been: "TOP INVESTIGATOR SEES NO EVIDENCE FLIGHT 800 CRASH CAUSED BY EXPLOSIVE DEVICE."
The Times ran an editorial that same day warning about jumping to conclusions. Yet its front page led the reader to an unsupported conclusion.
Such a conclusion would buttress the arguments of those pushing for tighter "security"--that is, for strengthening the repressive state apparatus.
The New York daily tabloids pulled no punches. Their front pages shouted out "bomb."
In writing about the crash, many newspapers and magazines pointed to the Oklahoma City bombing as an example of terrorism. But they didn't point out their own role.
That explosion prompted an unrestrained media attack on Middle Eastern people, who were immediately presumed to be the terrorists responsible. Those ultimately charged with the bombing, of course, turned out to be home-grown ultraright wingers.
The media were caught in a gross error. But none was punished for the hardship they caused for Arab and Iranian people living in the United States who were victims of racist attacks.
This time the media are approaching the story with more caution. But they're still distorting it, since they don't even know a bomb caused the crash.
In the Newsweek magazine dated July 29, the lead article on the crash states early that the plane could have been blown up by "ideologically driven terrorists, a disgruntled employee, a spurned lover, an insurance scam artist. It's still possible that a mechanical failure downed the plane."
Later in the story, the article changes its tone and writes of New York Gov. George Pataki, "But in his heart he knew that a bomber was to blame." Further on it covers past bombing incidents, most with Middle Eastern people as the alleged perpetrators.
There is little speculation about mechanical failure. Apparently a small, budget airline like ValuJet can be a media target for its catastrophic accident, but TWA is treated gingerly.
Yet as the Wall Street Journal noted July 22, TWA "has downsized its work force in an attempt to save cash. Other, larger airlines are arguably better equipped to handle an accident."
The Journal was referring to the airline's dealings with relatives of the victims. As long as these analysts are speculating, however, they could apply the same reasoning to TWA's maintenance and safety standards.
This airline has a long history of union busting. Exactly 10 years ago, TWA flight attendants were in the midst of a long, bitter strike against the airline's attempt to gut their union contract, including cutting safety measures.
And how has downsizing, speedup and overwork among mechanical crews and pilots affected safety? Has caring for TWA's admittedly aging fleet of airplanes become beyond the reach of its shrinking staff?
Raising these questions would pit the media against airline owners and executives. It would highlight the need for greater safety measures, more workers, better training, shorter working hours and so on.
Instead, investigators and reporters suggested that the plane was shot down. Both television news and print media speculated that a shoulder-fired Stinger missile might have brought down the plane.
But the Jerusalem Post reported that some people in the French Defense Ministry said a Stinger could not have brought down the plane. Only a U.S. military unit could have done it, since the plane was flying too high for the Stinger. And, said the unnamed French officers, the U.S. military would never admit it.
That's another possibility the media speculated little about.
- END -
(Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted if source is cited. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: ww@wwpublish.com. For subscription info send message to: ww-info@wwpublish.com. Web: http://www.workers.org)