Jonathan Rugman - Revision history

Claire Robinson: /* Demonizing Venezuela */

2010-01-25T15:14:28Z

Demonizing Venezuela

Claire Robinson at 14:59, 25 January 2010

2010-01-25T14:59:24Z

Claire Robinson at 14:58, 25 January 2010

2010-01-25T14:58:54Z

Claire Robinson: /* Demonizing Venezuela */

2010-01-25T14:41:34Z

Demonizing Venezuela

Claire Robinson: /* Demonizing Venezuela */

2010-01-25T14:41:13Z

Demonizing Venezuela

Claire Robinson at 14:40, 25 January 2010

2010-01-25T14:40:31Z

Claire Robinson at 14:36, 25 January 2010

2010-01-25T14:36:36Z

Claire Robinson at 14:36, 25 January 2010

2010-01-25T14:36:29Z

Claire Robinson at 14:35, 25 January 2010

2010-01-25T14:35:04Z

Steven Harkins: Removing all content from page

2009-03-18T12:53:04Z

Removing all content from page

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 John Pilger sent a letter to Channel 4 News complaining of Rugman's report, in which he said:
 :This was a piece seemingly written by the US State Department, although Channel 4's Washington correspondent, Jonathan Rugman, appeared on screen. It was one of the worst, most distorted pieces of journalism I have ever seen, qualifying as crude propaganda. I have been in Venezuela lately and almost nothing in Rugman's rant coincides with reality. Factories are like 'Soviet collectives'; a dictatorship is on the rise; Ch&aacute;vez is like Hitler (Rumsfeld); and the media is under government attack. The inversion of the truth throughout this travesty is demonstrated in the 'coverage' of a cowed media. Venezuela is a country in which 95 per cent of the press and TV and radio are owned by the far-right, who mount unrelenting daily attacks on the government unhindered. The Latin American Murdoch, Cisneros, unfettered, controls much of it. Indeed, it is probably the most concentrated, reactionary media on earth - but that was not worthy of a single word from Rugman.<ref>John Pilger, Email to Channel 4 News, copied to Media Lens, March 27, 2006, reproduced at [http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/060405_cartoon_time_channel.php Cartoon Time - Channel 4 Smears Chavez], Media Lens, 5 April 2006, accessed 25 Jan 2010.</ref>
 ==References==

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 John Pilger sent a letter to Channel 4 News complaining of Rugman's report, in which he said:
-:This was a piece seemingly written by the US State Department, although Channel 4's Washington correspondent, Jonathan Rugman, appeared on screen. It was one of the worst, most distorted pieces of journalism I have ever seen, qualifying as crude propaganda. I have been in Venezuela lately and almost nothing in Rugman's rant coincides with reality. Factories are like 'Soviet collectives'; a dictatorship is on the rise; Ch&aacute;vez is like Hitler (Rumsfeld); and the media is under government attack. The inversion of the truth throughout this travesty is demonstrated in the 'coverage' of a cowed media. Venezuela is a country in which 95 per cent of the press and TV and radio are owned by the far-right, who mount unrelenting daily attacks on the government unhindered. The Latin American Murdoch, Cisneros, unfettered, controls much of it. Indeed, it is probably the most concentrated, reactionary media on earth - but that was not worthy of a single word from Rugman.<ref>[http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/060405_cartoon_time_channel.php Cartoon Time - Channel 4 Smears Chavez], Media Lens, 5 April 2006, accessed 25 Jan 2010.</ref>
+:This was a piece seemingly written by the US State Department, although Channel 4's Washington correspondent, Jonathan Rugman, appeared on screen. It was one of the worst, most distorted pieces of journalism I have ever seen, qualifying as crude propaganda. I have been in Venezuela lately and almost nothing in Rugman's rant coincides with reality. Factories are like 'Soviet collectives'; a dictatorship is on the rise; Ch&aacute;vez is like Hitler (Rumsfeld); and the media is under government attack. The inversion of the truth throughout this travesty is demonstrated in the 'coverage' of a cowed media. Venezuela is a country in which 95 per cent of the press and TV and radio are owned by the far-right, who mount unrelenting daily attacks on the government unhindered. The Latin American Murdoch, Cisneros, unfettered, controls much of it. Indeed, it is probably the most concentrated, reactionary media on earth - but that was not worthy of a single word from Rugman.<ref>John Pilger, Email to Channel 4 News, copied to Media Lens, March 27, 2006, reproduced at [http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/060405_cartoon_time_channel.php Cartoon Time - Channel 4 Smears Chavez], Media Lens, 5 April 2006, accessed 25 Jan 2010.</ref>
 ==References==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ::"Is Ch&aacute;vez on the way to becoming a dictator?"
 :[. . .] Rugman interviewed [[Maria Corina Machado]], describing her as a "civil rights activist". In fact she is a leader of Sumate, an extreme right organisation that was deeply involved in a 2002 coup that temporarily ousted Ch&aacute;vez[...] In a March 23 report Rugman again described Machado as a "civil rights activist", citing her as the source for his claim that "government critics" are "fearing another Zimbabwe here". <ref>[http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/060405_cartoon_time_channel.php Cartoon Time - Channel 4 Smears Chavez], Media Lens, 5 April 2006, accessed 25 Jan 2010.</ref>
 ==References==

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 :The film repeatedly depicted Ch&aacute;vez as a dictatorial menace, referring to his "personality cult" and to factories run as "Soviet-style collectives". Rugman asked:
 ::"Is Ch&aacute;vez on the way to becoming a dictator?"
-:[. . .] Rugman interviewed [[Maria Corina Machado]], describing her as a "civil rights activist". In fact she is a leader of Sumate, an extreme right organisation that was deeply involved in a 2002 coup that temporarily ousted Ch&aacute;vez[...] In a March 23 report Rugman again described Machado as a "civil rights activist", citing her as the source for his claim that "government critics" are "fearing another Zimbabwe here". <ref>[http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/060405_cartoon_time_channel.php Cartoon Time - Channel 4 Smears Chavez], Media Lens, 5 April 2006, accessed 25 Jan 2010.</ref></ref>
+:[. . .] Rugman interviewed [[Maria Corina Machado]], describing her as a "civil rights activist". In fact she is a leader of Sumate, an extreme right organisation that was deeply involved in a 2002 coup that temporarily ousted Ch&aacute;vez[...] In a March 23 report Rugman again described Machado as a "civil rights activist", citing her as the source for his claim that "government critics" are "fearing another Zimbabwe here". <ref>[http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/060405_cartoon_time_channel.php Cartoon Time - Channel 4 Smears Chavez], Media Lens, 5 April 2006, accessed 25 Jan 2010.</ref>
 ==References==

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 :The film repeatedly depicted Ch&aacute;vez as a dictatorial menace, referring to his "personality cult" and to factories run as "Soviet-style collectives". Rugman asked:
 ::"Is Ch&aacute;vez on the way to becoming a dictator?"
-:[. . .] Rugman interviewed [[Maria Corina Machado]], describing her as a "civil rights activist". In fact she is a leader of Sumate, an extreme right organisation that was deeply involved in a 2002 coup that temporarily ousted Ch&aacute;vez[...] In a March 23 report Rugman again described Machado as a "civil rights activist", citing her as the source for his claim that "government critics" are "fearing another Zimbabwe here". <ref>Media Lens, ibid.</ref>
+:[. . .] Rugman interviewed [[Maria Corina Machado]], describing her as a "civil rights activist". In fact she is a leader of Sumate, an extreme right organisation that was deeply involved in a 2002 coup that temporarily ousted Ch&aacute;vez[...] In a March 23 report Rugman again described Machado as a "civil rights activist", citing her as the source for his claim that "government critics" are "fearing another Zimbabwe here". <ref>[http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/060405_cartoon_time_channel.php Cartoon Time - Channel 4 Smears Chavez], Media Lens, 5 April 2006, accessed 25 Jan 2010.</ref></ref>
 ==References==

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:40, 25 January 2010
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	Previously he was C4's Washington correspondent, covering the US elections and Hurricane Katrina.<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/news/authors/jonathan+rugman/106050#bio Biography: Jonathan Rugman], Channel 4 website, accessed 25 Jan 2010</ref>		Previously he was C4's Washington correspondent, covering the US elections and Hurricane Katrina.<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/news/authors/jonathan+rugman/106050#bio Biography: Jonathan Rugman], Channel 4 website, accessed 25 Jan 2010</ref>
		+
		+	==Demonizing Venezuela==
		+	On 27 March 2006, Jonathan Rugman presented "Hugo to go?" on Channel 4 News, wherein he relentlessly smeared Hugo Chávez, the Venezuelan president, in a piece described by John Pilger as "one of the worst, most distorted pieces of journalism I have ever seen".<ref>John Pilger, Email to Channel 4 News, copied to Media Lens, March 27, 2006, reproduced at [http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/060405_cartoon_time_channel.php Cartoon Time - Channel 4 Smears Chavez], Media Lens, 5 April 2006, accessed 25 Jan 2010.</ref> Media Lens summarized the piece:
		+	:Rugman's film [...] showed footage of Chávez with Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein and Qadaffi. Rugman's voiceover, strident and dramatic, hammered home the point:
		+	::"He supplies 15 per cent of America's oil, yet America's enemies are his friends. Hugo Chávez, in danger of joining a rogue's gallery of dictators and despots - Washington's latest Latin nightmare".
		+	:The film repeatedly depicted Chávez as a dictatorial menace, referring to his "personality cult" and to factories run as "Soviet-style collectives". Rugman asked:
		+	::"Is Chávez on the way to becoming a dictator?"
		+	:[. . .] Rugman interviewed [[Maria Corina Machado]], describing her as a "civil rights activist". In fact she is a leader of Sumate, an extreme right organisation that was deeply involved in a 2002 coup that temporarily ousted Chávez[...] In a March 23 report Rugman again described Machado as a "civil rights activist", citing her as the source for his claim that "government critics" are "fearing another Zimbabwe here". <ref>Media Lens, ibid.</ref>
		+

	==References==		==References==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 Jonathan Rugman is foreign affairs correspondent for Channel 4 News. The Channel 4 website says, "Jonathan's beat includes foreign policy, terrorism and international development."<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/news/authors/jonathan+rugman/106050 People: Jonathan Rugman], Channel 4 site, accessed 25 Jan 2010</ref>
-Previously he was C4's Washington correspondent covering the US elections and Hurricane Katrina.<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/news/authors/jonathan+rugman/106050#bio Biography: Jonathan Rugman], Channel 4 website, accessed 25 Jan 2010</ref>
+Previously he was C4's Washington correspondent, covering the US elections and Hurricane Katrina.<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/news/authors/jonathan+rugman/106050#bio Biography: Jonathan Rugman], Channel 4 website, accessed 25 Jan 2010</ref>
 ==References==

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:36, 25 January 2010
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−	Jonathan Rugman is foreign affairs correspondent for Channel 4 News. The Channel 4 website says, "Jonathan's beat includes foreign policy, terrorism and international development."<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/news/authors/jonathan+rugman/106050 People: Jonathan Rugman], Channel 4 ~~News~~ site, accessed 25 Jan 2010</ref>	+	Jonathan Rugman is foreign affairs correspondent for Channel 4 News. The Channel 4 website says, "Jonathan's beat includes foreign policy, terrorism and international development."<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/news/authors/jonathan+rugman/106050 People: Jonathan Rugman], Channel 4 site, accessed 25 Jan 2010</ref>
		+
		+	Previously he was C4's Washington correspondent covering the US elections and Hurricane Katrina.<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/news/authors/jonathan+rugman/106050#bio Biography: Jonathan Rugman], Channel 4 website, accessed 25 Jan 2010</ref>

	==References==		==References==

← Older revision	Revision as of 14:35, 25 January 2010
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	+	Jonathan Rugman is foreign affairs correspondent for Channel 4 News. The Channel 4 website says, "Jonathan's beat includes foreign policy, terrorism and international development."<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/news/authors/jonathan+rugman/106050 People: Jonathan Rugman], Channel 4 News site, accessed 25 Jan 2010</ref>

	+	==References==
	+	<references/>
	+
	+	[[Category:Journalists\|Rugman, Jonathan]]
	+	[[Category:Venezuela\|Rugman, Jonathan]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:53, 18 March 2009
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−	~~[[Image:JonathanRugman.JPG\|right\|thumb\|Jonathan Rugman, 6 July 2007, photo: Kristoffer Larsson]]~~
−	'''Jonathan Rugman''' is Channel 4 News's Diplomatic correspondent, and his "beat includes foreign policy, Iran, Iraq, Europe and the Middle East". Previously he was C4's Washington correspondent covering the US elections and Hurricane Katrina.

−	~~==Demonizing Venezuela==~~
−	On 27 March 2006, Jonathan Rugman presented "Hugo to go?" on Channel 4 News wherein he relentlessly smeared Hugo Chávez, the Venezuelan president, in a piece described by John Pilger as "one of the worst, most distorted pieces of journalism I have ever seen".<ref>[http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/060405_cartoon_time_channel.php Cartoon Time - Channel 4 Smears Chavez], Media Lens, 5 April 2006.</ref> Media Lens summarized the piece:
−	~~:Rugman's film [...] showed footage of Chávez with Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein and Qadaffi. Rugman's voiceover, strident and dramatic, hammered home the point:~~
−	::"He supplies 15 per cent of America's oil, yet America's enemies are his friends. Hugo Chávez, in danger of joining a rogue's gallery of dictators and despots - Washington's latest Latin nightmare".
−	~~:The film repeatedly depicted Chávez as a dictatorial menace, referring to his "personality cult" and to factories run as "Soviet-style collectives". Rugman asked:~~
−	~~::"Is Chávez on the way to becoming a dictator?"~~
−	:[. . .] Rugman interviewed [[Maria Corina Machado]], describing her as a "civil rights activist". In fact she is a leader of Sumate, an extreme right organisation that was deeply involved in a 2002 coup that temporarily ousted Chávez[...] In a March 23 report Rugman again described Machado as a "civil rights activist", citing her as the source for his claim that "government critics" are "fearing another Zimbabwe here". <ref>Media Lens, ibid.</ref>
−
−	~~John Pilger sent a letter to Channel 4 News complaining of Rugman's report:~~
−	:"This was a piece seemingly written by the US State Department, although Channel 4's Washington correspondent, Jonathan Rugman, appeared on screen. It was one of the worst, most distorted pieces of journalism I have ever seen, qualifying as crude propaganda. I have been in Venezuela lately and almost nothing in Rugman's rant coincides with reality. Factories are like 'Soviet collectives'; a dictatorship is on the rise; Chávez is like Hitler (Rumsfeld); and the media is under government attack. The inversion of the truth throughout this travesty is demonstrated in the 'coverage' of a cowed media. Venezuela is a country in which 95 per cent of the press and TV and radio are owned by the far-right, who mount unrelenting daily attacks on the government unhindered. The Latin American Murdoch, Cisneros, unfettered, controls much of it. Indeed, it is probably the most concentrated, reactionary media on earth - but that was not worthy of a single word from Rugman." <ref>Media Lens, ibid.</ref>
−
−	~~John Pilger writes furthermore:~~
−	:On March 28 2006 I described here a report broadcast on Channel 4 News the previous night by its Washington correspondent, Jonathan Rugman. Rugman is pretty typical of television's Washington correspondents; he reports as if embedded, when, in fact, his work is voluntary. What distinguishes him is his reporting from Venezuela. Rugman's brief visit last year to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, produced what I described here as "one of the worst, most distorted pieces of journalism I have ever seen qualifying as crude propaganda". This was a piece, I wrote, "which might as well have been written by the US state department". For example, he described Maria Corina Machado as a "human rights activist". In fact, she was a leader of Sumate, an extreme rightwing organisation, who had been welcomed to the White House by George Bush himself. He caricatured Hugo Chávez as a buffoon dictator. In fact, he is an authentic product of a popular political movement that began in 1989 who has won more democratic elections than any leader on earth. Rugman reported that Chávez was helping Iran develop a nuclear weapon. In fact, this is laughable - see the US National Intelligence Estimate report published on December 3 2007. At the end of his performance, Rugman complained dramatically to the camera that he had been "held for 30 hours" by police in Caracas. In fact, he had walked into a military base and, surprise, surprise, was apprehended - as he would be on any Ministry of Defence establishment in Britain - and Venezuela is a country whose president two years earlier had been temporarily overthrown in a military coup. In fact, Chávez himself arranged for Rugman's speedy release. Rugman's "report" was so absurd that Channel 4 News, which maintains a reputation, was inundated with complaints and, as I was told, "embarrassed" - though not embarrassed enough to desist from sending Rugman back to Venezuela for yesterday's important constitutional referendum.<ref>John Pilger, [http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/john_pilger/2007/12/keep_the_record_straight.html.printer.friendly Keep the record straight], Guardian, 4 December 2007.</ref>
−
−	~~==References, Resources and Contact==~~
−	~~===References===~~
−	~~<references/>~~
−
−	~~[[Category:Journalists\|Rugman, Jonathan]]~~
−	~~[[Category:Venezuela\|Rugman, Jonathan]]~~