Delusional journalism (Channel 4 News edition)

 

Reporting and nothingness

Channel 4 News broadcasts an intriguing report revealing that a quarter of Muslims polled think the authorities were involved with staging the 7/7 London bombings and that nearly six in ten of those polled believe the government hasn’t told the whole truth about them.

Channel 4 frets that their poll has produced “a worrying picture that suggests a significant minority of British Muslims are alienated from the government and the security services.”

One wonders why Channel 4 decided to limit its poll to Muslims. There is plenty to suggest that we have not been told the full story about 7/7. Not just Muslims are bemused. It is surprising that more than four in ten Muslims apparently believe the government has told the whole truth.

I note but do not belabour that this poll was manifestly racist (or religionist, anyway) in that it was restricted only to Muslims. One cannot know Channel 4’s motive for the poll. Was it really to express astonishment that Muslims are alienated? I doubt it was deliberately to suggest that many Muslims hold crackpot views for I do not doubt that 25% of the population holds crackpot views on many things.

I am also surprised that Jon Snow did not point out, when breathlessly introducing his report last night, just why nearly 6 in 10 Muslims are anything but crackpots to believe that the government has not told the whole truth and is indeed determined that we never get to learn it.