Wikileaks

Marcello Ferrada-Noli om Wikileaks

Professor: Medierapporteringen om Assange är osaklig och likriktad

Publicerad: 2011-02-20 17:02, Uppdaterad: 2011-11-02 15:11

Media reports on Assange inaccurate and identical. As an overview, the aim of the analysis was to test the notion "trial by the media" in the official case of Sweden against Assange. This is a serious complaint because it involves issues of human rights violations. In Sweden, this allegation of human rights violations has not been specially commented upon and is ignored by most of media. But it is widely discussed in the rest of the world.

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Om författaren

Publishes in Sweden Professors blogg, which has extensively treated the case Assange, including guest-contributions by Noemi Wolf and Andrew Kreig. Marcello Ferrada-Noli is PhD in Psychiatry (Karolinska Institutet) and Professor Emeritus in Public Health Sciences. Formerly Research Fellow in Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. At present Senior Advisor at the Department of Immunology, Stockholm University.

Svenska Dagbladet, a main Swedish newspaper, illustrated its 17 Feb 2011 article "Idyllic picture of Sweden is darkened" with a montage showing the notorious criminal Göran Lindberg -- a world-reviled, convicted serial rapist (including the rape of a 14-year old child) - portrayed together with Julian Assange and his lawyer Mark Stephens. A conspicuous columnist of the newspaper Aftonbladet refers 13 Feb 2011 to Julian Assange as "a paranoid idiot who refuses come to Sweden to confront trial". The competitor newspaper, Expressen, describes 13 Feb 2011 in its cultural page "the sexual pleasure of Mr Assange is just an inescapable element for his severe compulsive needs that are beyond. . ."

The above is a sample of recent publications by four main Swedish newspapers. These media (DN, SvD, Expressen and Aftonbladet) have published a total of 802 articles on Julian Assange and WikiLeaks since the reports on the subject began in July 2010. To assess such reports I have conducted an empirical and statistical analysis based in a consecutive sample of 103 articles corresponding to the total reports published in the last month-period ending 17 February 2011.

As an overview, the aim of the analysis was to test the notion "trial by the media" in the official case of Sweden against Assange. This is a serious complaint because it involves issues of human rights violations. In Sweden, this allegation of human rights violations has not been specially commented upon and is ignored by most of media. But it is widely discussed in the rest of the world. The Australian Ambassador has recently conveyed a letter to the Swedish government containing a plea on that Assange's human rights should be respected in the case of an extradition to Sweden. This alleged public media trial together with top-government statements, as expressed by Assange lawyers, would have generated a nationwide, hostile situation for Julian Assange, who has not yet even charged, heard or prosecuted by any Swedish Court.

I have done independent research departing from that hypothesis. My goal has been to test whether the media-trial theory is valid in Sweden or how much empirical material exists beyond the lawyers' professional assessment. I used a main parameter of inclusion versus exclusion of the following categories a) Objective reporting, b) Erroneous information or deployment of disinformation, c) Omission of relevant information, d) Personality descriptions ad-hominem. Further, a theme on censure of contributions critical to the main-stream thesis and exercised in the blog-linking process to the Swedish newspapers was also analysed.

The result was an overrepresentation of media articles with a non-objective reporting (56 percent) on issues around the accusations or the Court proceedings in London and particularly with a negative content towards Julian Assange as a person. A breakdown of this group shows that articles containing information mainly erroneous in content or deceiving in its formulation were 20 of the total articles in the sample. The articles omitting relevant information in the context of the article's subject or with regard to the article's heading - although such information was available or published by other media - was 36 percent of all articles.

Among the articles which referred Julian Assange's personal character or clearly implied features of his personality (forty percent of total articles), far more articles (72 percent) did so by using hostile, detrimental or aggressive terms in contrast with articles using positive terms (28 percent). When comparing these variables, the statistical analysis showed a ratio of 0.38, pointing to a significant overrepresentation of negative assessments.

The analysis suggests a manifested hostility by the Swedish media against Assange and objectivity deficits in the news reports related to the case, raising questions about the journalists' professional culture and ethics, their disregard for the critical and investigative function of journalism, and their passivity or condescendence towards press-information provided by authority. The results of the investigation raise also the question why Swedish journalists employed by traditional media act so uniformly.

Finally, I scrutinize whether the frequently claimed freedom of expression by Swedish newspapers can be compatible with censorship exercised by the media, by means of blocking opinions viewed as contradicting conventional wisdom, such as exposing reasons for Sweden's official antagonism towards Assange and WikiLeaks. Who in the Swedish media is deciding to filter the links of articles to admit certain blogs and censure others? What are the criteria? Is it the newspaper publisher or the journalist who is authoring the newspaper article? Or is it the blog-search engine company providing the link from the blogosphere?

These questions arise from a recent article in Sweden by the prominent American writer and journalist Naomi Wolf (12/2). The main Swedish newspapers refused to link to her article, creating further international embarrassment for the Swedish media beyond the facts of the Assange case. Her article, published as a guest-contribution in Professors blog, analyzed in the main the police proceedings around the investigations on Julian Assange.

Although a main conclusion derived from this investigation is that such "trial by the media" it is undoubtedly exercised in Sweden, it was also noticeable in this investigation that some of the journalists of the viewed media, individually considered, scored high both in objective reporting and by a neutral characterization of Julian Assange.

It should be also recognized that a number of other Swedish journalists and bloggers have reacted differently than those following the official line in the case Assange, and have contributed with critical posts or columns. There are as well some Web-based media publications in Sweden that in their pages have too published critical or alternative analysis by a variety of authors. These are nevertheless few in contrast to those in the mainstream media, but their civil courage is highly needed in a society where, as Voltaire said, it is dangerous to be right in those matters on which those in power are mistaken.

The full 20-pages report - including tables and figures - on the research referred here is found at the link http://ferrada-noli.blogspot.com

Marcello Ferrada-Noli (4 artiklar)

Anmäl

Trackback URL: http://www.newsmill.se/trackback/33265

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I kommentarsfältet har kommentatorn juridiskt ansvar för sina inlägg.

- " The results of the investigation raise also the question why Swedish journalists employed by traditional media act so uniformly.-"

This phenomenon depict the swedish society as a whole. We are in bad shape overall and urgently need a couple of seriously good educationists to tell the truth about Sweden and to brake the truth gently and consistenly .

Permalänk | Anmäl #1 Sven Stromitzky, 2011-02-20, 19:13

Thank you very much Professor Ferrada-Noli!!! This is the way to go against this madness! A totalitarian extreme sect has infiltrated Swedish society like a cancer and very few with a real possibility and responsibility to act and challenge the goals and claims of the movement choose to do so. Instead politician and mainstream media is now in a sex racistic, female chauvinistic mass psykosis.

Permalänk | Anmäl #2 Peter, 2011-02-20, 19:24

For those of you who know swedish can find an excellent book on the subject in the journalist Ulf Nilssons book "Sweden- sluten anstalt" (roughly "Sweden-closed institution). Ignored in media of course. No swedish publisher wanted to give out the book, but it´s published by an american editor and available on amazon.com. Another brilliant book on the subject is late professor Sören Halldéns book "Humbuglandet". Also ignored by the mainstream-media. The normal way to silence whistle blowers and keep the herd calm. Swedes, it´s time to wake up! Don´t walk like cows into the slaughter house!

Permalänk | Anmäl #3 Peter, 2011-02-20, 19:30

Thank you very much for this analysis. Personally, I do not read the tabloid press, so I was not fully aware of the insane stupidities published there.
In my opinion, we see here the results of an official "state-feminism", which has been made into a Politically Correct Truth by the influence of a very vocal and ruthless lobby group consisting of fanatical man-hating feminists.

As things are now, every journalist who "runs with the pack" will therefore say slanderous things about Assange. They do so because they want to keep their jobs I guess, by proving they are on the "correct" side. And, yes I despise them.(There is plenty of that disgusting stuff here on Newsmill also.)

Then there are a few honest people with integrity, who dare to resist these officially sanctioned lies. I am glad they still exist, in this crazy mess where it seems the fools make the rules.

Permalänk | Anmäl #4 Kai Virihaur, 2011-02-20, 20:23

There is, generally speaking, no such thing as "the journalists' professional culture and ethics" in Sweden. They (the journalists)write, basically, what they are instructed to do and in accordance with the current politically correct views. Journalists in this country are, further, poorly educated and are also heavily biased.

No sane person would ever trust any major Swedish media for information about anything more important than tomorrow's weather. Possibly,

Permalänk | Anmäl #5 Tage Sundin, 2011-02-20, 20:53

I´m just reading Naomi Wolfs article about the 8 MAJOR abberations in the police reporting process and ...WHAT THE F--K is going on in Sweden???????????? I encourage everybody to search for that article published on the professors blogg.

Permalänk | Anmäl #6 Peter, 2011-02-20, 20:55

http://ferrada-noli.blogspot.com/2011/02/karl-rove-sweden-and-eight-majo...

Permalänk | Anmäl #7 Peter, 2011-02-20, 20:56

Remember Naomi Wolf is a leading feminist.

Permalänk | Anmäl #8 Peter, 2011-02-20, 20:57

Thank you very much, Marcello. After this Assrange-affair I feel ashamed beeing swedish. I´m a teacher who was forced to retire because of wistleblowing.

Permalänk | Anmäl #9 Maria Settergren, 2011-02-20, 21:23

You should study Claes Borgstöms way of handeling the case of Tomas Qvick. Abroad he would already be in prison.

Permalänk | Anmäl #11 Maria Settergren, 2011-02-20, 21:31

Thank you Professor for your inquiry on this matter.

I emigrated from Sweden many years ago and have not been particularly interested following the political development in Sweden. Occasionally reading internet editions of Swedish newspapers. I was not interested in the Assange-case either, until I watched some international TV-channels interviewing representatives of the swedish prosecution authority who was unable to answer simple questions on the Assange-case. I was astonished. Further i watched a press conference on TV, when prosecutor Marianne Ny was prepared to answer questions on the issue of the EAW. There were no substantial questions, only a declaration full of arrogance from the prosecutor. That woke my interest to find some articles in the swedish press to get me informed, I found nothing, total silence. I found a few articles how terrible the internet haunt for the female victims were, nothing else.
I must thank the authors on Flashback who tries to dig up the truth in the case. Even more remarkable is that there is no analysis and covering from swedish press on the EAW-hearings in London. I must say the only victim in this scandalous affair is Mr. Julian Assange.

Permalänk | Anmäl #12 Olle Flemström, 2011-02-20, 21:59

För de läsare som har svårt att ta sig igenom Naomi Wolfs artikel:

- Naomi Wolf, som alltså är en ledande feminist med mycket stor erfarenhet av våldtäktsmål, pekar ut totalt 8 punkter där polismyndighetens handläggning av "fallet" är juridiskt felaktig, och grovt strider mot gällande regler för hur sådana fall ska utredas.

Hennes slutsats är att dessa mycket grova fel måste ha godkänts och rentav uppmuntrats av någon på mycket hög nivå inom rättssystemet i Sverige.

Den person hon pekar ut som "hjärnan" bakom det hela är Karl Rove. Karl Rove har ett förflutet bl.a. som rådgivare till USAs förre president George W. Bush, och sägs nu "hjälpa" Reinfeldts regering att "hantera" Julian Assange:

"...Enligt källor till Huffington Post har George W Bushs högra hand, Karl Rove, hjälpt den svenska regeringen att hantera fallet Julian Assange..." ( http://nyheter24.se/nyheter/inrikes/506982-karl-rove-hjalper-reinfeldt-a... )

Alltså är detta mycket större än jag anat. Marianne Ny och Claes Borgström tycks vara enbart användbara underhuggare och redskap i detta fall.

Permalänk | Anmäl #13 Kai Virihaur, 2011-02-20, 22:32

PS: Punkt #1 i Naomi Wolfs artikel går helt enkelt ut på att:

På grundval av vad de båda "offren" berättat under förhör skulle saken aldrig ens lämnats vidare för utredning! Det skulle alltså aldrig ens ha blivit något "fall" av denna spruckna kondom...

Och den första åklagare som tittade på detta underlag, innan saken togs över av Marianne Ny, gjorde alltså helt korrekt bedömningen att något brott inte begåtts (kanske inte helt nyttigt för hennes karriär att hon inte kände av signalerna från högre ort...)

Permalänk | Anmäl #14 Kai Virihaur, 2011-02-20, 22:59

Jag för min del tror att det finns tillräckligt med rabiatfeminister på nyckelpositioner i den svenska maktapparaten (inkl media) föpr att driva igenom detta på egen hand. Man vill inte förlora någon mark alls, kosta vad det kosta vill. Det började nog med AAs vilja att hämnas och gick överstyr då hon har så många kompisar inom systemet som är vana vid att alla skyddar varandra och de inte kommer att hållas ansvariga för diverse tjänstefel. Och det ser väl mörkt ut för att det ska hända även i detta fall.

Permalänk | Anmäl #15 Peter, 2011-02-20, 23:24

# 14 Ska vi gissa att hon fortsättningsvis får sortera gem i myndighetens källare? Eller i värsta fall sköta den framtida försörjningen genom att spela munspel på Hötorget?

Permalänk | Anmäl #16 Tage Sundin, 2011-02-20, 23:27

Min gissning är att inget kommer att hända. Svensk press kommer bara tiga ihjäl det hela. Se exvis hur lite intresse de visar för Tomas Quick-skandalen, styckmordsdomarna, nedtystningen av LizaMarklundsskandalen med Gömda, osv osv. Troligtvis händer ingenting. Det som kan bryta igenom är att utländsk media börjar bevaka vad som händer. Faktiskt lite grann som i Egypten, Tunisien osv. Sverige är en demokratur med för många som bevakar sina positioner för att något ska förändras utan tryck utifrån. Mycket positivt är att Australiens regering kräver agrantier från Sverige att Assange ska få en rättvis behandling. Svenska topppolitiker är nog mycket fåfänga när det gäller deras internaionella anseende. Man kan alltid hoppas...

Permalänk | Anmäl #17 Peter, 2011-02-20, 23:47

Man behöver inte vara konspirationsteoretiker för att ana hur det hela ligger till. I en artikel här på NM skriver Anders Jallai om hur Urban Ahlin och Mona Sahlin sprang till amerikanska ambassaden för att få hjälp med att vinna valet 2010.

http://www.newsmill.se/artikel/2010/12/02/s-ville-ha-hj-lp-av-cia-f-r-at...

Allt har ett pris, priset blir att socialdemokraterna ska se till att Assange överlämnnas till USA och man gjillrar en fälla. Socialdemokratiska Broderksapsrörelsen får uppgiften att bjuda in Assange som föredragshållare i LO-borgen . Två damer verifierade som CIA-agenter (den ena beskriver sig själv som CIA-agent på sin blogg) tillika medlemmar i socialdemokratiska Broderskapsrörelsen skickas ut som "honeytraps". Planen är klar, kvinna A bjuder in världsstjärnan att bo i sitt hem under hans vistelse i Sverige, kommer sedan hem två dagar för tidigt och lägger sig med honom efter ett par timmar. Det var naturligtvis planerat.
Precis som det var planerat att just den polis som mötte kvinnorna när de steg in på Klara polisstation var utvald, det visade sig senare att hon var god vän med Bodström & Borgström.

Borgström var övertygad om att det radikalfeministiska sexbrottsläget i Sverige skulle hålla för ett åtal men det tyckte inte Finné. Alltså inkallades radikalfeministen Ny att fortsätta den rättsliga gången.
Förhörsledaren var utsedd på förhand och endast han (av Sveriges alla poliser) kunde hålla i förhöret av Assange. När han blev sjuk började det hela strula förhöret drog ut på tiden och Assange lämnade såsmåningom landet ohörd, i stark förvissning om att det hela inte gick rätt till.

Jag tror han har helt rätt. Och ingen svensk journalist gräver sig ner och granskar frågan. Jag undrar precis som Marcello Ferrada-Noli:

" Who in the Swedish media is deciding to filter the links of articles to admit certain blogs and censure others? What are the criteria? Is it the newspaper publisher or the journalist who is authoring the newspaper article?"

Att inte ha undersökt Assangefallet djupare och mer seriöst är en journalistisk skandal.

Permalänk | Anmäl #18 Christina Lundqvist, 2011-02-21, 07:36

ja!

den SVENSKA Medierapporteringen om Assange är osaklig och likriktad !!!!!!!!!!

den som feminister och bombliberaler sitter och skriver i Expressen, Aftonbladet, DN och SVD!

de utländska medierna har RÄTT!

Sverige ÄR en bananrepublik med ett korumperat och manshatiskt rättsväsende!

Permalänk | Anmäl #19 invandrarTjej, 2011-02-21, 20:19

#14 och #16 Kai och Tage,

Den första åklagaren var Eva Finné, en duktig åklagare från Stockholm. Hon fick för ett halvår sedan i uppgift att gå igenom det första målet där Thomas Quick hade beviljats resning. Målet där Claes Borgström hade agerat försvarare med mindre lyckat resultat. Och nu är Borgström på gång igen, för att få Assange fälld. Och Finné suckar på sin kammare.

Eva Finnés beslut i Quick-målet blev att bevisen som tidigare hade fällt Quick, inte ens dög för att väcka åtal. Målet lades ned, han blev frikänd utan rättegång. En åklagare med civilkurage, helt klart.

Är någon förvånad över hur lite det skrivs om detta? Att hela korthuset rämnar i bitar? Att en politiker på toppnivå har medverkat till att fälla en oskyldig. Det är många som håller varandra om ryggen.

Permalänk | Anmäl #20 Mayo Mellberg, 2011-02-21, 22:25

Thank you professor Ferrada-Noli.

Sweden has in a short time become a totally manipulated country, we can not longer say officially what we really think, without being afraid of lower salaries, loose our jobs etc. There is also a big frustration and anger among the people and also a despair because ordinary people don´t really see what is wrong. It is a tragedy. Some of us could yet see through this, but we really need help from foreign opinon. Strong criticism of swedish media from other countries could hopefully help us.

Permalänk | Anmäl #21 Marguerithe, 2011-02-25, 13:22