A Washington Post news story earlier this week served to demonstrate that
mainstream media journalists apply the same prism overseas as they do
domestically when covering illegal immigration and the Ground Zero
mosque: When an overwhelming majority of the public goes against the
media's position, journalists see division and portray politicians
sharing the majority position as causing rancor.
Case in a point: An article from Paris on page A6 of the Tuesday, August 31, Washington Post, "Crackdown on Roma divides French [1]: Unease grows as Sarkozy razes camps, expels residents," in which the newspaper's Edward Cody led: "Much of France has returned from summer vacation in a rancorous mood, disturbed by a crackdown
ordered by President Nicolas Sarkozy against illegal Roma camps and
naturalized immigrant youths who attack police in troubled suburbs."
Yes, the French people are "disturbed" that the police are reacting
against immigrants who attack them.
Cody proceeded to assert "the unease over the action against
illegal Roma immigrants, most from Romania and Bulgaria, has been
particularly strong, with the expulsions drawing criticism at home and
abroad." Indeed, "for many, such policies undermine France's idea of
itself as a haven for exiles and a beacon for human rights. Similar fears of intolerance
were raised in July when, at Sarkozy's urging, the National Assembly
passed a law banning women from wearing full-face Islamic veils in
public."
Those Cody cited were hardly the citizenry, but Sarkozy's political opponents and meddling foreigners, starting with how "a U.N. human rights panel sharply criticized Sarkozy's actions
against the Roma camps last week and called on him to halt the
campaign. Pope Benedict XVI, speaking in French to make sure the message
was received, called on Catholics to respect human diversity." Cody
also maintained: "In the political arena, the policies have generated
protests from Sarkozy's opponents, on the right as well as the left."
Not until the 7th paragraph did Cody relay some information that
undermined his entire premise and explained why a politician like
Sarkozy would be pursuing policies that supposedly enraged the
electorate:
In a recent poll, two-thirds of those queried approved of the campaign, suggesting the policy might provide at least temporary gains as Sarkozy maneuvers to set the stage for reelection in 2012.
Cody's next sentence should have been: "Never mind."
- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here [2] to follow him on Twitter.