Ok, I saved this a week ago, and have been meaning to post a little analisys.
When the generaly politic and press-shy Red Cross comes out and says that there is '
torture' going on in Guantanamo, you know there really are some horrifically evil things being done in your name.
On that day, I did an exercise that I've been amusing myself with on such news occasions. To get an unbiased sample of news from US vs. non-US sources, I go to
Google News and collect the first page of headlines on the topic. This entry is about the sample from the evening of Nov/30, the first news cycle after the story broke.
The first shocking observation is how relatively little coverage this story got in the US. The second, even more telling observation, is the language used to describe the allegations.
US sources:
8 use '
abuse' or other; 1 uses '
torture'.
Non-US sources:
5 use '
abuse' or other; 16 use '
torture'.
The one headline from US sources which uses the word 'torture' does so in the context of Gen. Myers denying it.
Evidence below the fold.
Headlines from
Google News, evening of Nov/30, first page of results on this topic.
US news sources
Red Cross Report Alleges US Detainee Abuse at Guantanamo
Voice of America, DC - 3 hours ago
Red Cross Says `Significant Problems' Remain at Guantanamo Bay
Bloomberg - 9 hours ago
Gen. Myers: No torture at Guantanamo
Indianapolis Star, IN - 5 hours ago
Red Cross Report Details Guantanamo Prisoner Abuse
NPR (audio), D.C. - 6 hours ago
Red Cross cites US abuse at Guantanamo
Washington Times, DC - 11 hours ago
ICRC Accuses US Military of Abuse at Guantanamo Prison
Voice of America, DC - 12 hours ago
Red Cross complains to US about Guantanamo
MSNBC - 13 hours ago
Pentagon disputes Red Cross criticism
USA Today, VA - 14 hours ago
Red Cross finds abuses at Guantánamo Bay
International Herald Tribune, France - 13 hours ago
Note: the IHT is a NYT+WP outfit, hence a US source.
Non-US news sources
US denies allegations of torture, abuse at Guantanamo
Xinhua, China - 1 hour ago
Govt seeks report on prisoner abuse
The Age (subscription), Australia - 41 minutes ago
Downer won't press US for 'torture' report
ABC Online, Australia - 1 hour ago
Guantanamo abuse 'a form of torture'
Gulf Daily News, Bahrain - 1 hour ago
Pentagon denies Guantanamo torture allegations
ABC Online, Australia - 1 hour ago
Red Cross accuses US of torture at Guantanamo Bay
ABC Online, Australia - 1 hour ago
US torture at Guantanamo 'increasingly repressive'
Independent, UK - 2 hours ago
Abuse claims vindicated: Hicks lawyer
NEWS.com.au, Australia - 5 hours ago
Leaked Red Cross report alleges torture at Guantanamo
ABC Online, Australia - 5 hours ago
Pentagon denies torture, abuse
The Australian, Australia - 5 hours ago
Red Cross slams US military in report on Guantanamo Bay
Indian Express, India - 5 hours ago
Red Cross Sees Problems at Guantanamo
Guardian, UK - 6 hours ago
Red Cross reignites US torture dispute
Financial Times, UK - 7 hours ago
Pentagon rejects Guantanamo torture claims
Reuters AlertNet, UK - 8 hours ago
Guantanamo 'a form of torture'
Mail & Guardian Online (subscription), South Africa - 11 hours ago
Red Cross reports "form of torture" at Guantanamo
Al-Jazeera, Qatar - 12 hours ago
'Torture' exposed at Guantanamo
The Australian, Australia - 12 hours ago
Red Cross accuses the US of torture
The Age (subscription), Australia - 14 hours ago
Prisoners held by US tortured: Red Cross
Sydney Morning Herald (subscription), Australia - 14 hours ago
Guantanamo tactics "tantamount to torture"
swissinfo, Switzerland - 15 hours ago
