Damage Control: “USA Today” Article Deflects Criticism of the Ukrainian Government

The cherry picking of the corporate media undermines any pretense of objectivity. Today, USA Today cherry picked in order to favor Ukraine against Russia. Its headline, “Ukraine: Head of Amnesty International chapter quits. Russia begins attack on eastern Ukraine,” deflects criticism of Ukraine for endangering the civilian population. Amnesty International, which is hardly taking a pro-Russia position, criticized Ukraine for launching missile attacks from schools, hospitals and other heavily populated areas. If Palestinian groups like Hamas are accused of doing the same in order to protest Israeli atrocities against Palestinian civilians, why not draw the same conclusion about Zelenski?  Just because Zelenski, who has proven to be a master at PR, reacted irately to the Amnesty International report, it doesn’t mean that the report lacks substance. The damage control argument in favor of the Ukrainian governments is that the report is a “tool of Russian propaganda.”

 

Nowhere in the USA Today article is there mention that the person who resigned, Oksana Pokalchuk, is herself Ukrainian. The article does everything to create the impression that the Amnesty International’s report just represents the viewpoint of one current within the organization. Thus Pokalchuk claims that Amnesty International released the report “ignoring the advice of staff members, who urged the group to revise its report.” It goes without saying that not everyone in the organization is going to agree with such a controversial opinion. But why does USA Today underscore the negative reaction to the report? What should be underlined is the horrible consequences of the actions of the Ukrainian army, another reason for which Washington should be a voice in favor of reaching a peace agreement and not the war’s prolongation. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-head-of-amnesty-international-chapter-quits-russia-begins-attack-on-eastern-ukraine-cities/ar-AA10nqKa?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ab3da162ff9b4fa9bcfb639009239b9b