BBC Discovers Foreign Journalists Exist, But Only In Venezuela
The BBC story details journalists detained in Venezuela, citing an atmosphere of fear where 'people describe their fear of speaking out'. It's a genuine concern. But where was this intense scrutiny when, say, the US National Guard deployed against Black Lives Matter protesters, monitoring social media and detaining journalists from outlets like Vice News? Or when Israeli forces, armed with
billions in US aid, routinely target and kill Palestinian journalists, like Shireen Abu Akleh? (Which, embarrassingly, the State Department called a 'tragic loss' after accepting Israel's 'credible' findings). We understand that detaining reporters is bad. Allegedly a threat to democracy. One might wonder if the concern is truly about press freedom, or just when the 'wrong' country does it.
Perhaps the BBC could launch a segment: 'Hypocrisy Watch', featuring a split-screen of outrage over Caracas and crickets over Tel Aviv. Just a thought.