Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 2015)
The Page 22 New Prices Effective May 1, 2010 Martin Cleaning Service Portland Observer Black O PINION History Month February 4, 2015 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $45.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $40.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $25.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) : $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: Additional $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25 - $49 Throw Pillows (With Other Services): $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 Big Media’s Enhanced Misinformation Techniques Torture supporters dominate TV news shows BY A LDO G UERRERO When the Senate released its shocking report on CIA torture late last year, it re- newed a debate from the Bush years about the merits of so-called “en- hanced interrogation techniques.” Polls released afterward sug- gested that most Americans thought that torture was effective and, in some cases, justified. Yet the report was very clear: Torture pro- duced virtually no valuable intelli- gence. So why did so many people get the wrong idea? One possible expla- nation is that they heard it over and over again on TV. In a new study, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting found that major news programs interviewed twice as many torture defenders as torture critics in their coverage of the Senate’s report. The study reviewed the guests of several popular news shows in the week when the report was most prominently discussed. The sur- veyed programs included the five Sunday talk shows: NBC’s Meet the Press, CBS’s Face the Nation, ABC’s This Week, Fox News Sun- day, and CNN’s State of the Union) along with four weekday news shows: MSNBC’s Hardball, Fox’s Special Report, CNN’s Situ- ation Room, and the PBS NewsHour. In total, 104 guests appeared on these shows to discuss the topic, a little over half of whom expressed an opinion on torture. Out of these, 35 — two-thirds of that group — took a position sup- who spoke up in support. Moreover, with the exception of journalists covering the report, most of these guests were former and current government officials. Nine were from the CIA, seven of whom defended the torture program. Many of these former officials are familiar faces who were involved in authorizing or implementing the program. They included George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Karl Rove, as well as former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and former CIA officials Michael Hayden, Jose Of the politicians who were invited to appear, Republicans outnumbered Democrats 19-to-7. Sixteen of the Republicans defended torture, while just three spoke against it — including Sen. James Risch. The Idaho Republican opposed releasing the report or prosecuting the torturers, but indicated that he would block the CIA from conducting similar interrogations as a member of the Intelligence Committee. portive of torture. This number in- cludes a few guests who claimed to be against “torture,” but defended waterboarding and other “enhanced interrogation techniques” that are recognized as torture under U.S. and international law. Only 18 guests articulated clear opposition to the CIA’s torture prac- tices. That’s just half the number Rodriguez, and Bill Harlow. Guantanamo prosecutor David Iglesias, who appeared on the PBS NewsHour, was the only former government official connected to the torture program to express op- position to it. While the people who ordered, justified, and carried out torture were well represented in the debate over the report, advocates for the victims were rare. Joseph Margulies and Meg Satterthwaite, two lawyers rep- resenting men tortured by the CIA, were the exceptions, appearing re- spectively on Hardball and This Week. Excluded entirely were represen- tatives of human rights groups and experts on international law. Of the politicians who were in- vited to appear, Republicans out- numbered Democrats 19-to-7. Six- teen of the Republicans defended torture, while just three spoke against it — including Sen. James Risch. The Idaho Republican op- posed releasing the report or pros- ecuting the torturers, but indicated that he would block the CIA from conducting similar interrogations as a member of the Intelligence Com- mittee. Of the seven Democrats who made appearances, four spoke against torture, while three voiced no clear opinion. The Senate report presented a golden opportunity for the media to scrutinize the CIA’s torture prac- tices. Instead, major outlets let tor- ture apologists to dominate the dis- cussion. By refusing to hold them accountable, the media has left the door open for these atrocious abuses to happen again. Aldo Guerrero is an intern at Fairness and Accuracy in Report- ing.
