News or an attempt to cause more division throught the media?

[Devastatin Dave]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060110/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl
Check out the headline of this "news" story...

Is it me or am I the only one that said, "Well duh, that's what you are suppose to do during the Hajj." In my opinion, its either a slow news day or the title of this story was purposely composed in this manor to incite bitter feelings towards an Islamic act of Faith. In order to see proof of this, I look no further than the yahoo message board to see the usual hatred and filth. The news, again in my opinion, will once again cause death and destruction on the quest to get the big story by not reporting the news but MAKING the news. Shameful, AP should be ashamed.

[Ser Clegane]

In order to see proof of this, I look no further than the yahoo message board to see the usual hatred and filth.

Wow - scrolling through the "discussion" of the article and reading some of the messages almost made me sick

[Marcellus]

Wow - scrolling through the "discussion" of the article and reading some of the messages almost made me sick

I read the first few and couldn't go any further out of disgust.

And I do agree, the whole article seems a bit unnecessary. Like 'Christians are going to church on Christmas Day', or something similarly unshocking.

[Taffy_is_a_Taff]

yahoo discussions are terrible, I avoid at all costs.

[Devastatin Dave]

Wow - scrolling through the "discussion" of the article and reading some of the messages almost made me sick

Yes and you can see this. Instead of keeping a critical eye on Islam like i have been doing for years and years now, I'm looking deeper into the "news". Can people not see it? Is it just me? The news is not reporting its MAKING news. How long befoer one of those posters on the yahoo message board takes actions instead of words? Its not just Muslims, i believe, that the news is misrepresenting, but other faiths including Christianity as well. The news wants us to be at each others throats. Is there any other explaination for the title of this article? Where is the real enemy? Its in Saudi Arabia, the United States and everywhere there is this sort of reporting. How sad that this will only fan the flames of hate between fellow human beings.

[Geoffrey S]

Can't say I saw anything particularly offensive (or newsworthy, for that matter) in the article, but I can imagine it being somewhat informative if I hadn't known about it already. You'd be surprised at how many people don't know this kind of thing.

But the discussion boards are vicious. But people will do that whether the article were there or not.

[Ser Clegane]

Can't say I saw anything particularly offensive (or newsworthy, for that matter) in the article, but I can imagine it being somewhat informative if I hadn't known about it already. You'd be surprised at how many people don't know this kind of thing.

I agree with dave here - if you just see the headline it creates an impression of aggression.
I wonder how many readers first think of muslims throwing stones at people when they see the headline - which would of course also be an indicator of prejudices thes reader has - but a news article shouldn't try to utilize such prejudices to get attention.

[Xiahou]

Maybe I'm nuts, but I didnt see anything too insiduous with that article. Actually, while it didnt tell me much I didnt know personally, I thought it was generally informative- it told people about muslim religious traditions that many westerners may not be familiar with.

The most suspect part, in my mind, was the following:

"Oh, Muslim nation, there is a war against of our creed, against our culture under the pretext of fighting terrorism. We should stand firm and united in protecting our religion," he said.

"Islam's enemies want to empty our religion from its contents and its meaning," said al-Sheik, the Saudi kingdom's top religious authority. "But the soldiers of God will be victorious."

The faithful replied: "Amen."

Maybe that's newsworthy, but I don't find it particularly relevant to the rest of the article.

As a sidenote, I think it's unfortunate that a "top religious authority" would try to lay the blame on "the West" instead of on the crazies who are hijacking their religion.

[Sartaq]

I wonder how many readers first think of muslims throwing stones at people when they see the headline

I would think most backroomers woulden't interpret it that way, I know I didn't. That said, there is about a million better ways to word the headline. And about a million people that will jump to conclusions upon seeing it.

[solypsist]

that's the normal content for yahoo news discussions no matter what the subject.

Wow - scrolling through the "discussion" of the article and reading some of the messages almost made me sick

[Papewaio]

Yahoo lacks the subtlety of other news vendors.

It is always a good idea to get information from many different slanted news vendors... hopefully they end up balancing each other out and/or you get a kernel of truth.

After seeing how a lot of adverts get printed incorrectly... and this is with the consent of the person who wants the material printed and they say exactly how they want the layout... it makes one wonder how much of the rest of what is reported is accurate.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Charming.

Another reason to not like Yahoo.

[Major Robert Dump]

Yahoo discussions -- just like discussions on 99% of unmoderated video, photo and news sites -- are all just like that one. Got a favvorite video site? Go check out the comments one day and you "may" be shocked. Personally, I find it all amusing because A: its words written by an anonymous poster and B: It's predictable and C: prbably about half of the people who post that crap dont believe it and are just doing it to fill the "racist redneck" quota on the board.

As for the articles headline, yes there were better ways to word it. But if this is anything like a print newsroom, the copy editors pick the headlines just as they pick the headlines for 1000s of other storys each week; and if its anything like a regular copy edit team, theres gonna be one or two vets and the rest interns or recent grads working for $7 an hour or doing it for school credit.

That being said: BIG DEAL. Must be a slow news day? Must also be a slow news week here at the .org if this is what you guys are getting your panties ruffled about. Babies.

[solypsist]

to jump on the media-scrutiny bandwagon, check this out:

http://editorandpublisher.com/eandp/...01806170&imw=Y

"In the wake of the Sago mine tragedy, perhaps a new category of Pulitzer Prize should be created to honor the journalists or news managers who caution that a story is not ready for prime time or publication. Unfortunately, the winning reporter or editor would likely soon be out of a job at a big time network or newsroom."

[Sartaq]

That being said: BIG DEAL. Must be a slow news day? Must also be a slow news week here at the .org if this is what you guys are getting your panties ruffled about. Babies.

[Major Robert Dump]

Journalism is a business, a business to sell papers and get viewers. Those of you who have a favorite partisan rag or website must unerstand that when it comes down to the bottom line, certain considerations put all others to the back burner: money. The exceptions are far and few between.

Thats where journalists need to get off their high horses about being the 4th estate, of the 4th branch, or whatever they think they are. They aren't. They are in a business of reporting "facts" that their readers will find interest in, from the high shcool baseball reporter to the network news anchor.

I made a voluntary departure from journalism when I graduated OU and worked a few entry level gigs at local television stations. The issue of ethics was my primary reason, ethics that were so small and minute at the time it was easy for all the others to justify it from the perspective of "filling the news" "running a business" and -- the worst one -- "doing the community a service", where service = agenda. I'm not even talking about politics here, just day to day reporting/advertising stuff that will bore you if I go into detail.

Journalism is a business. Expecting a lot out of journalists is like expecting your local dairy, or pizzeria, or movie house to be feeding the homeless and cleaning the parks.

[Geoffrey S]

I agree with dave here - if you just see the headline it creates an impression of aggression..

My mistake. I missed the word 'title' in the original post. With regards to the title, you have a point.

It's front-page news in my paper, by the way.

[R'as al Ghul]

Interesting what Yahoo deems to be news.

My sources tell me that for the first time ever, a mufti called
his fellow muslims to fight the fanatic terrorists that give Islam
a bad name by continously breaking its laws.
That's actually what the western world always hoped for and
has expected from the religious leaders of Islam, isn't it?
For me that was surprisingly good news.

[Ser Clegane]

that's the normal content for yahoo news discussions no matter what the subject.

I guess the Backroom spoiled me - compared to the yahoo "discussions" it's a real festival of love and understanding here

[rory_20_uk]

It would be nice that perhaps Muslims could I dunno change things after nearly 1,500 years. Do they need to stone animals to death? Would they possibly do this figuratively? Christians don't see the need to use animal blood as nuch these days.

I agree that for this to make the news is rather pathetic - kerosene on the usual smouldering fire.

[Ser Clegane]

Welcome back, rory - I haven't seen you hanging around here for quite some time.

Beer is on the house

[rory_20_uk]

OMG - I'm missed / remembered!!!

Yeah, been without a regular PC connection for ages. Am now a Dr at last

[Ser Clegane]

Am now a Dr at last

Congrats!

I guess working as a medic might also have something to do with having not that much free time to visit gaming boards

[Adrian II]

I wonder how many readers first think of muslims throwing stones at people when they see the headline (..)

I do, and I do not need that headline to arrive at the thought. Stoning the devil in effigy, be the effigy human or inanimate, is a sign of profound religious obscurantism. Islam has an intellectual tradition which I deeply respect, but apart from the Mountain of Mercy ritual which I can dig, I find its institutionalisation and particularly the whole hajj thing abhorrent. If I were a Muslim I would rather die than stone a pillar in the same country where adulterers are stoned to death under the exact same motto that ‘God is most great’. It would be like attending one of those subsidised conferences for world peace in Libya. I have nothing against world peace, but I refuse to celebrate it in Ghadafiland. It is also highly ironic that each year people who stone Iblis reach such a pinnacle of hatred that they trample others to death. Grow up and learn to fight your inner devil. The real news in the story, as Xiahou is keen to remind us, is that the chief wizard of Mekka is still a complete idiot.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I think your consernation is a bit overwrought, DD.

If someone really wanted a slanted headline, it'd read 'Muslim Mob Hurls Stones in a Ritual were People often Die.' or somesuch.

Nor do I think the headline is intended to make one think they're stoning people. Might that be your subconsious perception of Muslims throwing stones, a situation for which Muslims are themselves partly to blame?

It is also highly ironic that each year people who stone Iblis reach such a pinnacle of hatred that they trample others to death.

1984, anyone, with the two minutes of hate?

The real news in the story, as the Rabbit is keen to remind us, is that the chief wizard of Mekka is still a complete idiot.

Hmm. Thought I hadn't yet posted. But I'm glad you got my psychic messages.

Or is there another here to dares call himself the Rabbit? Have at ye!

Crazed Rabbit

[doc_bean]

It would be nice that perhaps Muslims could I dunno change things after nearly 1,500 years. Do they need to stone animals to death? Would they possibly do this figuratively? Christians don't see the need to use animal blood as nuch these days.

I agree that for this to make the news is rather pathetic - kerosene on the usual smouldering fire.

Uh, honey, they throw stones at pillars. They slaughter animals (not in a specifically cruel way) and distribute the meat amongst the poor and needy. It gets eaten, not left to rot in some temple, so i don't see what the problem is.

The *real* problem is how badly it is organized each year, but you can't blame the religion for that.

[rory_20_uk]

LOL mea culpa

Alashing throats ain't as nice, but there's other things to get upset about in the world.

They do the same thing in Greece in some areas. I know coz I walked past a goat who'd had his throat slit on the side of the road.

[Watchman]

Most people would no doubt lose their appetite if they actually bothered checking out where their steaks come from, anyway. As Bismarck put it, "people who like politics or sausages should not be shown how either is made" or something to that effect.

[Adrian II]

1984, anyone, with the two minutes of hate?

Good point.

Or is there another here to dares call himself the Rabbit? Have at ye!

Arrr no, Mr Rabbit Sorr! I was kerfusing ya with the Chinaman, Mr Xaihou, I was. On me stepmother's grave I swear it won't 'appen no more, Mr Rabbit Sorr.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Arrr no, Mr Rabbit Sorr! I was kerfusing ya with the Chinaman, Mr Xaihou, I was. On me stepmother's grave I swear it won't 'appen no more, Mr Rabbit Sorr.

Ye scurvy bilgerat! But fear ye not, it be no slight aginst me 'onor to have Mr Xaihou taken for myself.

Crazed Rabbit