Western media bias

‘Reactions to Russian View. Our last Readers’ Post page carried a view by the Press Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Singapore, Mr Dmitry Ryakhovskiy, who criticized the media for publishing biased accounts by Western news agencies about the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine. Below are the reactions via email, the ST Readers’ Post where the article was posted online, and in ST Facebook, to the Russian view.

Louis Tan: Unfortunately many have been indoctrinated by the American and Western brainwashing or simply just do not read or question what is being reported which is why Western press still holds sway.  It is time to turn back the tide and remove the stigma America and the West have painted of Russia as the ‘bad’ guy when they are far from ‘holy’. So, yes. More (such) reports should be presented in The Straits Times.’ ST

I sported the above in the ST on 12 May. It was like an advertorial or a paid advertisement. What was interesting were the views of some bloggers that the ST had been selling views of the Americans and the West, slanted in their favour particularly against the Russians, China and the Muslim world.

I have personally felt that many international articles published in reputable media around the world were actually as good as propaganda, very biased and unintellectual, more like the works of insurgents. And they were published in the main media and very likely the media even paid for the right to publish them. I hope I am wrong on this and it is the other way, that such propagandistic articles would only be printed with the author or source paying for the right to be given a space in the main media. The fee should be more than commercial advertisements as these are highly biased and distorted articles to serve a political agenda. The media could make a pile publishing such articles if they don’t mind the distortions and untruths as a source of income.

I often asked myself whether the media staff are so dull to be publishing other people’s poison laced political statements in the guise of journalistic or academic works when in reality they are politically motivated propaganda with a hidden and dangerous agenda? The source of such articles would be most willing to pay handsomely to be allowed to be published in reputable media. And the media staff are so eager and willing to even pay the source with good money to carry them in their reputable papers and undermining the credibility and reputation of their media.

It is quite ridiculous and stupid really if reputable media have to pay for the right to publish other people’s politically motivated articles, views or ‘news’.  So pathetic.

Kopi Level - Green