Update [2007-2-26 16:52:18 by Freedom]: RAW STORY has corrected the story in question" "Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad referred to Israel as the "Zionist state." A more accurate translation of his remarks were, "occupying regime." The updated version of this article also includes a more detailed discussion of the translation. Title also used "run" instead of "rule."
On February 4, Raw Story's John Byrne had advised me of the correction in a comment to the diary that I had posted on that issue - see here. Unfortunately, it is only today that I was made aware of that. Sorry John! And thank you for issuing the correction.
David Sketchy, the blogger who originally brought up this issue of misreporting, has also posted this very good news at Media Lens today and you can follow it from there.
[Correction: Commentor Turkana pointed out correctly below that this reprimand does not originate from the Media Lens' editors but from a contributor to its Message Board. I have updated this post accordingly. My apologies to the editors!]
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A contributor to media watchdog Media Lens' message board today took to task the "alternative news" outlet Raw Story over its story about Hillary Clinton and her stance regarding Iran.According to its own description of its mission,
The Raw Story is an alternative news nexus. We draw upon a panoply of news sources and select those stories we think most intriguing to a audience seeking news underplayed by the mainstream media. At the core, our goal is to unearth and spotlight stories underplayed by the popular press, in particular those which highlight betterment and open people’s eyes to injustice throughout the world. (my emphasis)
"Open people's eyes"? Not according to David Sketchley!
E-mail to Raw Story re "wiped off the map"
Posted by David Sketchley on February 3, 2007, 7:21 pm
User logged in as: David Sketchley
Dear Sir,
In the article on your website entitled "Senator Clinton won't run out use of force to stop 'pro-terrorist' Iran", I read the following:
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been a vehement critic of Israel, and according to various media reports Israel has prepared strike plans to target Iran's nuclear enrichment sites. In October 2005, Ahmadinejad said he concurred with Ayatollah Khomeini's remarks on Israel that the "occupying regime" had to be removed, referring to the "Zionist state" as a "disgraceful stain [on] the Islamic world" that must be "wiped off the map." Notably, Ahmadinejad did not use Israel by name, but his statements clearly were aimed at the largely Jewish state. Some experts disagree with the translation, which was widely used by the Associated Press and other news agencies. Some say the phrase is more accurately translated as "eliminated" or "wiped off" or "wiped away" from "the page of time" or "the pages of history", rather than "wiped off the map."
http://www.rawstory.com/...
One would have hoped for very much better from The Raw Story.
In the the Iranian President's speech he never used the words in quote marks in your article "Zionist state". Indeed where did this come from? According to Juan Cole, Jonathan Steele, MEMRI and Farsi speaker Arash Norouzi, the correct translation is as follows:
"Word by word translation: Imam (Khomeini) ghoft (said) een (this) rezhim-e (regime) ishghalgar-e (occupying) qods (Jerusalem) bayad (must) az safheh-ye ruzgar (from page of time) mahv shavad (vanish from)."
"Disgraceful stain" that must be "wiped off the map"? Please could Raw Story tell me where they got this translation from? Or did they just make it up?
If you are not prepared to pay for a minimum of 3 INDEPENDENT translations conducted by INDEPENDENT academic translators, then you should avoid becoming a party to a propaganda effort to lead us into yet another war of aggresion. Shame on you!
Quite! Read the rest of David's reprimand with links offered to Raw Story for verification.
It remains to be seen whether Raw Story will simply brush this under the carpet in the hope that all will be forgotten in a day or two ... or issue some kind of apology/correction if only to clear "its good name."