Monday, December 05, 2011

It's Mackey vs. Medad

Back in January, Robert Mackey of the NYT The Lede and I had an 'exchange':-

42.

Yisrael Medad
Shiloh, Israel
January 8th, 2011
5:33 pm

To Robert: I am sorry that my mocking tone annoyed you. I was not aware that you would assume the map was made up or that Haaretz publishes editions in two languages. Or that you would doubt Haaretz's claim that the rocks came first.

To #33: actually, as a result of the Supreme Court's decision, the security barrier is being moved and is under contruction as we write (and as stones are thrown, which means that there is no necessity for stones to be thrown), see: "Israel has begun work to reroute a section of its West Bank security barrier at Bil'in - two and a half years after the Supreme Court ordered the state to return land to Palestinian farmers, Army Radio reported on Thursday. Once completed, the newly routed fence will skirt agricultural land to hand some 700,000 square meters of arable back to the village, long the site of often violent weekly protests." (source: Haaretz - http://www.haaretz.com... from almost a year ago)

Robert Mackey
Reporter
January 8th, 2011
5:33 pm

I'm afraid you have misunderstood what I wrote in my response to the other reader and to you. I simply did not, as you state, "assume the map was made up or that Haaretz publishes editions in two languages," or "doubt Haaretz's claim that the rocks came first." You seem to have assumed that my attempts to get the the reader who submitted the map with absolutely no explanation of where it was posted online was an indication that I was doubting that Haaretz publishes on paper in two languages (I have since learned that it does so) and assumed that by trying to establish for certain what the newspaper reported that I was actually arguing with the other reader and you. I was not. I am attempting to be accurate and to call a halt to mud-slinging and sarcasm as common features of discussions on this blog.

You are perhaps so used to reading, and writing, blog posts that are essentially arguments that you did not recognize that I was merely making an honest attempt to establish factual accuracy here. People have in the past on several occasions submitted material to this blog in comments threads that was not what they said it was. My reaction, to ask questions and request some sort of verification that this map was what the reader said it was is ordinary journalism in the pursuit of the truth, not sarcastic punditry.


Well, we're at it again following his pushing the "cruelty" story of a female photographer who was seemingly treated poorly at a crosspoint from Gaza.  After leaving some comment sthere, I then pointed out to him a much worse story:

ymedad
@RobertMackey remember "cruelty" of Addario's ordeal by Israel? try this - tinyurl.com/83br5tt

And it starts.

But start at the bottom and work your way back up - too many exchanges to rearrange (sorry):-

ymedad
@RobertMackey sorry, I am not a "collaborator" (bad choice there). & you have something against "nationalists"? with whom do u collaborate?

ymedad
@RobertMackey me harrass? i don't do that. I argue, debate. you feeling harrassed? relax, you've got the Grey Lady at your back.

Robert Mackey
@adamlevick that is not an accurate reflection of what I wrote: that all ethic nationalists are sure critical reports are evidence of bias

ymedad
@ZachofArabia @RobertMackey really? u think so? well, he is Guardian-trained.

noam sheizaf
@RobertMackey @ymedad true.

Zach of Arabia
@ymedad: Please cc me in what you come up with b/c I'm confident that you'll find a @RobertMackey bias as well.

Robert Mackey
@nsheizaf @ymedad that doesn't make any of them less worth reporting. And we have reported on abuses at US security checks in the past.

Robert Mackey
@nsheizaf @ymedad Having grown up partly near the border in N. Ireland, I'd say security checkpoints anywhere make some abuses likely, but

Robert Mackey
@ymedad did you read the report carefully enough to know the word 'cruelty,' was used by the victim, not me? why not harass her directly?

Robert Mackey
@ymedad it is a journalist's job to publicize official errors; you might as well complain that sports refs are too focused on calling fouls

noam sheizaf
@RobertMackey @ymedad US story was exception, Israeli story reflects on policy

Robert Mackey
@ymedad you use the same logic as people who called The Times anti-American for reporting abuses of the US government.

Robert Mackey
@ymedad possible explanation for reporting news that fails to serve their nationalist agendas.

Adam Levick
@RobertMackey @ymedad So Jewish nationalism is unique in that it distorts one's narrative 2 a degree greater than other national loyalties?

Robert Mackey
@ymedad you could collaborate with Bahraini, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Indian, Serbian and Irish nationalists who charge me with bias as only

Robert Mackey
@ymedad you are free to waste your time, but I predict you will only report findings that support your own narrative, like all nationalists.

Robert Mackey
@ymedad there are literally thousands of posts on other subjects, but Israel is of interest to US readers for reasons other than bias.

Robert Mackey
@ymedad perhaps your perspective, as a West Bank settler, is biased. otherwise why respond this way to a mistreated woman's complaint?

ymedad
@RobertMackey ??? I reside in Samaria; why bias? -subjective perspective; I pointed out a "cruelty" and it happens worse than the reporter.

ymedad
@RobertMackey I know the "2 wrongs". I await your acknowledgement that you unduly highlight/spotlight Israel, that's all.

ymedad
@RobertMackey no, no debate. pointing out possible bias. similar events get disproportionate attention/highlight.TheLede will report this?

ymedad
@RobertMackey . ok, u don't mind a count to quantify the subject then. an academic study. will get back with findings.

And let's remember what Mackey's blog is all about:

The Lede is a blog that remixes national and international news stories — adding information gleaned from the Web or gathered through original reporting — to supplement articles in The New York Times and draw readers in to the global conversation about the news taking place online.

Readers are encouraged to take part in the blogging by using the comments threads to suggest links to relevant material elsewhere on the Web or by submitting eyewitness accounts, photographs or video of news events.

Was I being "encouraged"?

^

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