NBC Silent on 2,000 Dead in ‘Deadliest Massacre’ by Islamist Group
With the world still reeling in horror at the terrorist attack in Paris, you’d think am Islamist massacre of thousands in Africa might find room in a network evening broadcast. And ABC and CBS reported Jan. 10 on a brutal attack by the Boko Haram on a small Nigerian town, NBC completely failed to report on what has been called the “deadliest massacre” yet from a group known for mass killings.
ABC World News and CBS Evening News both quoted Amnesty International, which estimated 2,000 people were murdered in what the Nigerian government and Amnesty deemed the “deadliest massacre” by the radical Islamic group. Both also noted that Boko Haram is an Islamist group.
CNN reported on the attack Jan. 12 identifying the group as “extremist” and Islamic as well:
Boko Haram has terrorized northern Nigeria regularly since 2009, attacking police, schools, churches and civilians, and bombing government buildings. The Islamist group has said its aim is to impose a stricter form of Sharia law across Nigeria, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.
The group's brutal tactics have shocked and stunned the world.
CNN reported that bodies still littered the ground town because, "It is still not safe to go and pick them up for burial," according to a local official.
The networks have a history of avoiding mentioning international terror attacks when they are carried out by radical Islam, and when they do report they often forget to mention who the attackers are.
A June study by MRC Culture found that ABC identified Boko Haram as Muslim in 22 percent of reports, while NBC did so just 33 percent of the time.
— Kristine Marsh is Staff Writer for MRC Culture at the Media Research Center. Follow Kristine Marsh on Twitter.
