BBC's Bullshit Exposed[uses Iraq photo to illustrate Houla massacre]

[Not for Human Consumption]

With the shock of the Houla tragedy ringing across the world, the BBC has released a story with a harrowing picture of rows and rows of children's bodies awaiting burial… But isn’t that post-Saddam Iraq?

*Photographer Marco di Lauro who took the shot grabbed by the BBC says he nearly “fell off his chair” after finding the picture on the network’s website with a caption reading: “Photo from Activist. This image – which cannot be independently verified – is believed to show bodies of children in Houla awaiting funeral.”

The picture was actually taken on March 27, 2003; it depicts an Iraqi boy jumping over dozens of white body bags containing skeletons found in a desert south of Baghdad. The image, which is published on Marco di Lauro’s website, is part of his story Iraq, the Aftermath of Saddam.

Marco di Lauro takes photographs for Getty Images picture agency, his works have been published across Europe and the US. But the indication that the BBC picked his image from the internet, not from official stock worries him somewhat.

“What I am really astonished by is that a news organization like the BBC doesn't check the sources and it's willing to publish any picture sent it by anyone: activist, citizen journalist or whatever. That's all,” the photographer told The Daily Telegraph.

“Someone is using someone else’s picture for propaganda on purpose,” he added.

A BBC spokesman says the picture, illustrating Sunday night’s story "Syria Massacre in Houla Condemned as Outrage Grows," was taken down “immediately” when the source was identified.

“We were aware of this image being widely circulated on the internet in the early hours of this morning following the most recent atrocities in Syria. We used it with a clear disclaimer saying it could not be independently verified,” he added.

These words about information “which cannot be independently verified” have become a trademark of media coverage of the 14-month conflict in Syria. Before UN special envoy Kofi Annan brought his peace plan to the troubled Arab country, the Syrian government had remained reluctant to open borders to most international journalists.

But even now the bulk of information comes from people calling themselves opposition activists – via amateur videos uploaded to YouTube or eyewitness reports.

But sometimes it looks that the mantra “cannot be independently verified” serves as a disclaimer to publish information which wouldn’t stand a chance of ever being verified.

http://www.rt.com/news/bbc-iraq-syria-houla-400/


all these motherfuckers have an agenda. Sad really, all I want is some news not some warmongering cunt's attempts to incite war. Aljazeera reporting has been as bad if not worse. Same with the NY Times, CBC and most other "reputable" media outlets.

[The Pat-Man]

syria and russia have been homies for years, its no surprise to me that fabrications of this magnitutde are perpetrated.

[TORTILLA]

and 2 fucks were not given on this day

[Bobitis]

Eh they admitted it couldn't be verified and there's plenty of witnesses to say that the killings did happen. Not sure what the issue is here, media companies do far worse than post incorrect pictures.

[Zanick]

If the event did take place, they're probably desperate to cover it. When something like this can't be verified and isn't covered in the news, people flip out and blame the media/government for doing nothing or even covering up disasters going on around the world. The public likes to be informed, and I'm sure that demand creates problems for the people who do the informing.

[Cory]

RT is the Fox News of Russia, seriously. They're probably just covering for Syria like they have been since the start of the uprising.

[The Pat-Man]

Originally Posted by Cory

RT is the Fox News of Russia, seriously. They're probably just covering for Syria like they have been since the start of the uprising.

yea also this theyre just fox news "other side".

[Not for Human Consumption]

Originally Posted by Cory

RT is the Fox News of Russia, seriously. They're probably just covering for Syria like they have been since the start of the uprising.

The story was originally published by the Telegraph. But I agree.

[Asheville]

Originally Posted by Cory

RT is the Fox News of Russia, seriously. They're probably just covering for Syria like they have been since the start of the uprising.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...-massacre.html

This is legitimate story. If the source you are using is giving you fake pictures, why would you trust that source for news? Because Israel and the UN want to build a case for foreign intervention in Syria. What should be seen in this story is the irony that the original photos of bodies are the result of a failed western military intervention in the middle east, which is exactly what this story is building the case for.

[neosade]

The BBC had a story on the UN. They needed a visual aid for the UN. They obviously quickly grabbed one from the net. The one they used was for the "United nations space council" from the videogame "Halo"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKPN9TwWHZc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKPN9TwWHZc
Video: click to display

[LSA King]

LOL@ RT = Fox News of Russia...so full of shit to even make the comparison of Fox News to RT even if RT is nothing more than a propaganda arm of Russia, which it is no more so than CNN/MSNBC/FoxNews is to the U.S. government despite them being private organizations.

Either way, doesn't matter if RT is covering for Syria or not. Point is, it isn't the rest of the worlds fucking problem what Syria does or is doing. If the people in Syria wanted something different then they would do something different. The rest of the world doesn't need to step in on there behalf, that's when things get messy and complicated.

Its like a woman who loves to take a good beating from there partner. All the words and all the actions anyone takes on there behalf isn't going to change or make there situation any better. Until that person realizes there own strength they'll continue to be someone else's little bitch and will continue to be as weak as they think they are.