Opus 2017-057: Headlines: More Gaps Than Facts

It was the leading article on my phone this morning.  Later I found it at the Guardian and read it in more detail.  As I read I grew more and more frustrated with what was called “reporting” and “journalism”.  There were many facts that did not add up.  Most of the facts that don’t add up are from unconfirmed statements.

Sorting through the hype, a young Muslim man was chosen for random screening and the process made him miss his flight.  That could be a bureaucracy out of control or good police work.  I can’t decide from the sketchy details.  Beyond that it is almost like reading the New York Times.

One discrepancy is where he was when it all started.  The beginning of the article states,

“We got to the airport, and as soon as we got to check in, the lady behind the desk read my passport and then straight away said you’ve been selected for a random security check.”

Okay.  A random security check.  More on that later but it led to him being taken to a hotel room that made him miss his flight.  Later in the same article it says,

“Mr Miah boarded the onward flight in Reykjavik on 16 February but was escorted from the aircraft by security personnel.”

Okay, which was it?  Was he taken off the flight or stopped at the check in?  Did the reporter bother to read what was written?  Is there an editor in the house?

If  he was selected for random screening it says he was taken to another room and most of what is described I have experienced. 

“She took me to the room, made me stand on a stool, take my shoes off, jacket off, checked under my foot, got a swab to brush over my hand and bag, my clothing and school hoodie. They gave me the all clear and then I went. The search was about five minutes. There were five or six people in the room, two searched me.”

All of this I have been through except the standing on a stool.  That is a bit strange.  But like he said, it took about five minutes and then he was cleared.  How does that fit together with the second story of being taken off the flight?

This article is very poor reporting.  All quotes and facts seem to come from the offended party and his circle of support.  We even read, “Mr Miah is a popular and respected teacher at Llangatwg comprehensive school.”   Without accusing Mr. Miah of anything I would point out that similar descriptions are given to terrorists and mass murderers, after the fact. 

Toward the end there is the required Trump bashing and mention of the travel ban.  What is not made clear is that the travel ban would have not applied to a British subject coming from Great Britain, so that was just gratuitous stirring the waters.

I would guess that there is a lot more below the smoke.  What it is I don’t have a clue and evidently the reporter doesn’t either.  Lazy or incompetent?  That is something else we don’t know.

homo unius libri