{originally posted to the author’s website, FirstOne Through}
The New York Times is one of the country’s most venerated and most liberal newspapers. Its articles and editorials often use a pluralistic and “progressive” approach in covering events.
Yet, for some reason, year after year, the paper refuses to highlight the terrorism running rampant in Africa.
Boko Haram. Al Shabab. Ansar Dine. It is not a short list, and the attacks are not inconsequential.
This week, three young girls blew themselves up in Nigeria killing scores. Yet the New York Times posted the news back on page A4. At the bottom of the page. With no picture.
Would the Times ever consider showing such poor coverage of terrorism in Paris? Never. The murder of a dozen people there received front page attention.
If one chose to be generous to the news organization and argue that there wasn’t enough time to cover the story in Nigeria properly… what about the coverage on the following day?
Nope.
The Times continued to give the story poor coverage. It buried the story in the middle of the paper and again did not use any photographs.
Well, let’s try to find another excuse for the Times – just for fun. Maybe the Times doesn’t cover the murders in Africa because it is a war zone with constant attacks, unlike Paris which is just a peaceful European city.
Then how does one explain the constant front page coverage of suffering Palestinians? In the summer of 2014, the Times put pictures of injured Palestinians on the front page on July 11, 14, 17, 21, 22, 24 and 29. Quite a stretch.
This is the long sad history of the Times. African Lives Don’t matter. Even during Black History Month.
Related First.One.Through articles:
Every Picture Tells a Story- Whitewashing the World (except Israel)
New York Times’ Lost Pictures and Morality for the Year 2015
Every Picture Tells a Story: Arab Injuries over Jewish Deaths
Strange difference of opinion on Boko Haram and Hamas in New York Times
Select Support in Fighting Terrorism from the US State Department