What a tangled web they weave

The regular failure to report both sides of the story is typified by reports on Chavez’s “war on idle landed estates”. Reporting generally fails to mention that consensus was reached via extensive public consultation on the subject or the huge disparity between rich land owners and the poor landless and its historical context. Reports on Chavez’s “attacks on free press and free speech” are generally taken from opposition media outlets and fail to mention that those arrested have been charged with serious crimes, including treason and violation of the constitution, crimes that would have them arrested in the USA not just Venezuela.

In conjunction with the aforementioned forms of media interference, the corruption of language itself is utilised. Excessive use of exaggerating words such as “terrorism” and “threat” and deliberate misuse of loaded terms such as “crimes against humanity” are used by opposition media and commentators. These techniques are also used by more indifferent media outlets to “sex-up” the news.

If the US were to lose economic control of Latin America its own economy would collapse. The last century of Latin American history is defined by US-backed removals of leftist governments in almost every country in the region. Venezuela has huge oil and natural gas reserves and the US has had control of these resources since their discovery more than 100 years ago via hand-picked dictatorships and false democracies. Around a million barrels of oil travel from Venezuela to the US every day. The US economy is also dependent on the thousands of US companies who enjoy monopolies, cheap resources, cheap labour and poor environmental regulation throughout Latin America, including Venezuela. The Chavez Government and its popularity represent a loss of US control in Venezuela.

These forms if interference and manipulation make one wonder where reality is hidden in the mass of global news reporting and commentary. The global financial crisis has damaged news media, perhaps irreversibly. Few outlets can pay for investigative or independent reporting, especially on foreign issues, and as such are heavily reliant on media releases, public relations material and news feeds. The focus of many outlets is now primarily economic survival. We find ourselves in the precarious position that our mass media is increasingly incapable of delivering truth.

It is foolish to judge countries and their governments or face the challenges of the future without attempting to navigate the web of advertising, spin, politics, vested interest and lies toward the truth that we inherently crave.