Here is a truth claim that, over the years, I have heard (or seen) stated in a number of ways by journalists and mass-media professors: Without strong, or at least adequate, visual images a story doesn’t exist in television news.
Yes, there are exceptions. But the exceptions almost always take place when big stories break in print media and television producers are highly committed to getting them on air — somehow.
Now, in the smartphone era, there are lots of ways for visual images to emerge (ask Hunter Biden). However, in our era of partisan, niche news, it may not matter if images exist. What citizens cannot see (or read) will not hurt them?
This brings me back to a subject I addressed in this recent GetReligion essay: “What's next in Afghanistan? Press will have to face issues of religion, culture and gender.”
The big question: Where does the Afghanistan story go next and, frankly, will elite American media cover the religion elements of this story?
That question was at the heart of a recent Religion Unplugged podcast discussion that I had with a friend and, long ago, a former religion-beat colleague — Roberta Green. In recent decades, she is better known as the philanthropist and fine arts-maven Roberta Green Ahmanson (click here for a typical arts lecture).
This new podcast is entitled, “How Will Afghanistan's Next Chapter be Written?” Meanwhile, here is a key chunk of the GetReligion essay linked to our discussion about religion, journalism, culture, politics and “nation building”:
Viewed through the narrow lens of Taliban doctrine, it doesn’t matter if Western governments were forcing open doors for the work of Planned Parenthood or Christian missionary/relief groups, the work of LGBTQ think tanks (or the American corporations that back them) or Islamic thinkers and clerics whose approach to the faith clashed with their own.
“Nation building” certainly sounds more noble than “colonization,” even if the humanitarian and cultural efforts were backed with billions of dollars from the U.S. government, Western NGOs, corporations, elite academic institutions, etc.
What are some of the essential stories to cover, linked to tensions between the Taliban and the ruins of the culture offered by the U.S.?
Anyone who knows the history of Afghanistan knows that Islam — and debates and conflicts INSIDE Islam — are part of this story. However, there is evidence that many diplomats, and thus journalists, will move heaven and earth to avoid discussing that reality.
The Los Angeles Times recently ran an analysis piece under this headline: “What went wrong in Afghanistan?” It took a high-altitude view of that question while attempting to examine the 20-year American project in that land, as well as recent headlines about tragedies surrounding the quick pull-out of U.S. military forces.
This passage near the end, for me at least, waved a red flag. This is long, but essential. Readers may want to read it more than once:
“There’s a dark irony here,” said Benjamin Friedman, policy director with Defense Priorities, a Washington group that supports U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Despite the tragic and lethal messiness of the last days, he said, Afghanistan may be more at peace soon than in a long time — although widespread repression of minorities, women, dissidents and others will undoubtedly be reimposed. But the military, civilian officials and experts will have to be held accountable, he said, “for how they got it so wrong.”
“You could not imagine a more stunning rebuke for the U.S. nation-building project,” he said. “We were building a failed state, not fixing a failed state.”
A state, he added, that was overly reliant on foreign aid and shaped by a history of armed faction and competing tribal power centers.
A new report issued by SIGAR … included a litany of U.S. mistakes and judged the overall situation in Afghanistan as “bleak.”
“The U.S. government did not understand the Afghan context and therefore failed to tailor its efforts accordingly,” the watchdog said. “Ignorance of prevailing social, cultural and political contexts in Afghanistan has been a significant contributing factor to failures at the strategic, operational and tactical levels.”
Read that final sentence again: “Ignorance of prevailing social, cultural and political contexts in Afghanistan has been a significant contributing factor to failures at the strategic, operational and tactical levels.”
Looking at this from the Taliban’s point of view (or perhaps simple logic), shouldn’t some variation on the word “religion” be in there, somewhere? Or is “religion” merely a ghost haunting the word “cultural,” from the point of view of this Los Angeles Times piece? How does one discuss Afghanistan without mentioning Islam?
Just asking.
Of course, there are important Afghanistan stories to cover and some of them will get covered.
Partisan politics is always news. Thus, see this Washington Post headline: “Military leaders, refusing to fault Biden, say troop withdrawal ensured Afghanistan’s collapse.”
Clearly, the “cultural” fate of women in Afghanistan is news. Thus, at The New York Times there is this: “New Taliban Chancellor Bars Women From Kabul University.”
NPR ventured into the world of Islamist takes on Sharia law with this report: “Taliban Official Says Strict Punishment And Executions Will Return.”
There are newsworthy, valid topics that must be covered.
But how about this headline, over at The Gospel Coalition website: “The Americans Staying in Afghanistan.”
Why would Americans risk staying in Afghanistan? Many of the Americans making that choice have religious motives, of course. Is this a topic that — addressed as news — would interest millions of American readers and viewers?
Alas, getting prime news coverage of this topic may require visuals involving nooses and swords. That would lead to coverage. Maybe.
Enjoy his bonus podcast and, please, share it with others.
FIRST IMAGE: Graphic posted with Amnesty International feature on executions in Iran.