What these the proposal. We meet with global news makers and talk about the stories that matter how does it. Stop something like. That strike toxic. I know. That that. Money was killed in a strike by. Hello im Richard Burton youre at the listening post here are some of the stories were covering this week the u. S. And iran after the assassination the media are playing their part in both countries just not the one they are intended to for anyone concerned about this conflict turning into world war 3 twitter has some handy ideas about how to dog a possible draft india bollywood is giving Prime Minister modi the Cold Shoulder as his government struggles to sell its new citizenship law and by how theyre covered by brazils mainstream news outlets the people in rios favelas have taken to telling their own stories. A little more than a week ago most americans had never even heard the name Qassam Soleimani now irans top military leader assassinated in a u. S. Drone strike has been cast as the worlds number one bad guy and thats not donald trump talking although it does sound like him those are the words of an American News network c n b c this story and some of the News Coverage coming out of washington harkens back to 2003 the iraq war too much airtime given to the hawks prowling news studios not enough scrutiny of their motives their associations too few tough and persistent questions about the legality of a possible war and while President Trump could be trying to distract americans from his own political problems remember that since late last year iranian protesters had been hitting the streets chanting death to the dictator they were out to change their leadership does donald trump even realize that he has shifted the political narrative inside iran giving its leaders and historic the messaging opportunity that is now reverberating across the news outlets the government there controls we have to starting points this week tehran and washington. Really. First examination the 2 media spaces in the United States and iran could not be more different iran is severely restricted the state controls broadcast the news leaving only a small space in print and online for real reporting and even less for dissent america is the ideological opposite its the wild a Market Driven west where corporate cowboys and ratings call the shots as opposed to i told us but on the coverage of the assassination ive got some soleimani and products other can be strikingly similar both of them deal with a lot of fear mongering they run ins present aggressive foreign power over young to be had on them and thats the out of touch. Out of that it will do i had not put if the hard. Enough. To see the beheading. And the United States we present we want as a red line influence in the region around the world. You dont have to be an expert in terrorism or irregular warfare to know that iran is an imminent danger to our country the real objective is to scare populations so they can rally behind the government because thats typical of every country in a way when we feel afraid we look to somebody to safeguard our security and. Your. There was initially very little skepticism about this notion that sort of money posed an imminent threat but i do think like as time has gone on and weve seen sort of the response both in iran and also just journalists who are sort of more critically minded within. Have been asking those probing questions and the fact that many have seen this as a reckless act as their people to query exactly. What sort of threats. Like the countries involved the depictions of Qassam Soleimani in the iranian and American Media are worlds apart iranians have been told he is a military hero the leader of the revolutionary guards clandestine division the could force which has allied with nonstate actors across the middle east flexing irans regional muscle widening its influence at home so in mani was both respected and feared iranians knew he had blood on his hands and would be willing to spill more to protect the islamic government from its opponents within iran in 2013 the new yorker magazine called soleimani the single most powerful operative in the middle east and that was before his forces led the successful battle against the Islamic State in syria or as c. N. B c in the us put it he was the worlds number one bad guy. He was an evil genius he had a lot of american blood on his hands he was the mastermind behind the iranian malign behavior in the region the world is a better place without him some of the shortcomings in the american coverage the jingoism the lack of nuance are familiar but to say that the us media are repeating the same mistakes they made prior to the iraq war would be an oversimplification really that a war with iran is madness and it is strategically and morally a disaster in the making and dont believe anyone who tells you otherwise one thing thats very different from 2003 iraq war invasion is a lot of people are questioning the trumpet ministration what he should be getting from you know what it is you just saw right there or if you think you know what. Prior to working well number one i knew the past. This was horrible he was a terrorist they doubt their credibility because they have a credibility gap the size of the ocean having that been we still see a lot of familiar faces that are pushing for. Arguments us some iran hawks so i think it is entirely possible that this is going to be a catalyst inside iran where the people celebrate this killing the son the mahdi and puts pressure on the iranian government to stop its terrorism to stop supporting all the various terrorist movements it has around the world theyre getting a lot of military people with military backgrounds and intelligence backgrounds are only good reason at this point overwhelming dominance of u. S. Air and naval power that can be employed against tyranny and the people who took to the streets American News channels also routinely failed to give viewers the context that certain interviews demand you know media we want the western media to understand that these criminals are not here or people of iran do not want war minutes fox news repeatedly puts nazi a limit jad on its ear calling her an iranian journalist and failing to disclose that shes paid by the Us Government by iran shes basically the point person who is all over the media and i dont think she mentioned sanctions once you know and you cant really talk about this crisis between iran and United States with our talking about these crippling sanctions that the United States and you know a lot of the imposed on iran i think the reagan opposition at any rate in opposition activists i have often thought a minute or longer so yes when youre presenting her as an iranian activity you need to also inform American Population that shes shes also contract employee of the United States government. But even fox which is pro republican and has never covered an american war it did not like is openly split over the prop. Backed up a war with iran strike that took out iranian terrorist leaders a huge success the world is safer these are the same people who lied about iraqs weapons of mass destruction way back in 2002 and by doing that got us into another really pointless war that dramatically weakened our country good morning rob and i have been in the midst of antiamerican protests in iran before but nothing like on the other side of the story iran which is usually closed to foreign journalists has opened its doors so the global media can see the public response for themselves iranian news outlets are running those pictures 247 this image is also making the rounds on t. V. And online it depicts the fall in general in the embrace of hussein one of the prophet muhammads grandsons it is strategic designed to tap into the beliefs of not just iranians but shia muslims outside of iran but one soleimani spent a career trying to influence on behalf of his government this is very much sort of commemoration of. The martyr is very much in that tradition i dont see you seeing him very much as a steward of. This right. Fighting for justice. In order to really again to mobilize people to paper over maybe some of the divisions which exist within Iranian Society galvanize them in the face of a foreign threat for all of the hostility between tehran and washington the iranian authorities actually have reason to be grateful to president truck for the past 2 months the story there has been about street protests over the price of fuel and calls for the overthrow of the government the american president has inadvertently given Ayatollah Khomeini a rare chance to rewrite the political narrative and thats exactly what the iranians are doing with. A little help from there and i mean. In a way this has been a blessing for the Islamic Republic because no longer are people complaining about the government or the state of the economy they fill the sense that war is a minute theyre worried about the future and theyre upset that what trump tweeted about irans cultural sites that he would want to bomb 2500 years of culture and history. This has been a gift to the Islamic Republic. Were discussing other media stories that are on our radar this week with one of our producers you know actually ravi mina a month ago the Indian Government amended its citizenship law allowing it to grant citizenship to refugees from neighboring countries just not muslim or the deliberate exclusion of muslims has led to protests that have gone on for a month now how was the modern government handling its messaging on this leadership Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and his party the b j p still has the vast majority of national t. V. News channels on its side but even they are not able to make the government and home minister ahmed shah look good on this now ever since the protests began the government has insisted that it is not discriminating against muslims however there are numerous videos all of which are from last year in which he clearly is out his plans to use the amended citizenship law along with other citizenship programs in a way that could seriously harm the rights of muslims in india so he is getting trashed on social media and the b j p is supposed to be good at this social media thing yeah it certainly was and thats what helped more they get reelected last year but its been slipping up ill talk you through the b j ps missed Call Campaign basically the b. G. P. Set up a toll free number and then shared it online asking people who supported the citizenship Amendment Act to give a missed call no message nothing they just have to call and that would be counted as a symbolic vote in support of the act this descended into a farce progovernment people tried to drive up call numbers by offering figure awards so free mobile data free sex even a free Netflix Subscription for 6 months now Netflix India had to tweet and say there was no free subscription at this number and the entire missed Call Campaign became a laughing stock there also seems to be some warning signs for modi in that indian Media Institution bollywood what time and specifically. So indians are used to seeing selfies of Prime Minister modi said rounded by a list celebrities he used it a lot during his Election Campaign but the unconstitutionality of this new law the state violence against protesters and the increasing sense that muslims are being victimized is clearly not sitting well with some in bollywood the government feeling together any a list or even b. List celebs for photo ops in support of the citizenship Amendment Act and then the countrys leading actor is the pick up by the cohen shes a megastar and shes been studiously apolitical until now she came out in support of students whod been attacked by members of a b j p student body at a university in delhi now modi in the b. G. P. Could survive a home minister who contradicts himself on a messed up missed Call Campaign but losing bollywood that worries them ok thanks me. Now consider what you know or think you know about the favelas of Rio De Janeiro those hillside communities that are as synonymous with rio as the citys iconic beaches perhaps you see for vallas as the brazilian media and Many International news outlets have depicted them lawless communities where the only realistic solution is a security show of strength that prevailing view plays well for 2 politicians in particular president ial year boston otto and rio as governor wilson vets both have given the police more authority to use lethal force in the favelas its an ongoing shoot to kill policy and they routinely defend officers who kill on the job but there is an alternative media narrative coming out of the favelas that is emerged through Community Based journalistic collectives they use video footage posted on social media to Document Police violence and security abuses to counter the dominant Mainstream Media narrative on one of brazils most important stories a listening post often now on 2 of those collectives koppel at 0 and matt avi and the work they do. Thank. You. They begin in the morning when the for bella is asleep or getting ready for what police raids that come without warning and turn residents into hostages in their own time the middle sold in the 1st round of my days of a helicopter gunship its very disturbing. Dan will speak with residents from all over the complex. People give guidance as a method of defense be careful when going to such and such street the police tank is there with thank you write the information and decide what to share. Im told you want to this day because it will return the valley into a war zone and we share information in order to minimize the damage to peoples lives not only physical damage but psychological too which is more serious for the residents our Facebook Page works as an information tool so they can feel safe theres a bizarre law that. The importance of these media collect is easy mets mainly to fill a void left by the mass media and why is that because the press doesnt answer that because these are territories with the state its not something you thought is going to stop something. They are the full bellows eyes and. Media collectives like my t. V. V. M. Pop will have to fill in information void. One thats especially dangerous during the named daisy military raids in the back of the collective the Photos Videos and information in real time to share them with residents on facebook and what. The decades really Security Forces have operated with almost total impunity in the for the. Focus of the full disclosure of. What youre going to tell someone else opening day or look at how theyre going to go to talk to you that you want to face and off his residency occupying and invading her. But not without pushback from the media collective well its reading listlessly the scene there was several instances where we used all videos to get justice there was the case of it why do dishes lose a 10 year old boy who was shot by a soldier. The 1st thing the residents did was called up where we wanted our video to serve as evidence of the crime scenes to avoid someone moving the body or placing a gun in the childs hand the policeman wouldnt allow us in the area but we are from the favela the favela people have their own resources another resident let us go up on his roof and we filmed everything from above. A footage was used by the public defender in eduardos case i made news across the country what it. Really is for velez im more than 100 years old. They are Impoverished Community thats where the states have historically showing this will interest in residents while being. In the 1983 drug trade pushed its way into the for thats trapping the population that between brutal warring gangs and Police Forces with a reputation for violence. Or brazils president jaya both are not a summary as governor wilson puts all both support more extreme action in the back seat. While there is also no youre. Right she was over the summer down hes looking more go this route you must be sure. The governator parts in an app on police operation. Because. Residents say helicopters are used to fire indiscriminately and launch grenades on the ballot. In 2019 rears miniaturized Security Forces killed an average of 5 people day brazil of that wall Government Official say a war in drugs thats inside the favelas feels more like a war on the pole. Was so when they use the war metaphor to justify this kind of action they forget that in a war theres a ceasefire a curfew a series of actions that should prevent the war becoming a genocide but both are not as president s and its all israels gov we have a synchrony of a state genocide policy we have a governor who wants to be rambo that was. Yeah my me i say meet you think she about you and it needs to be said well thats on the plaza Security Policy in which the excess is measured by the number of bodies left on the floor. Its clear how this governments focus is on barbarism. How can anyone and violence if you increase the number of People Killed rios police have been more lethal than during the 5 governments to came before so how can anyone solve Security Issues if no one youve asked to new clues. Police operations have always existed in the for values death has always existed unfortunately thats all the fellows are used for they only see the favelas through the sights of their rifles favela or both of the flu. Brazils Mainstream Media have a troubled relationship with the for closure for you cant just say good logic they hold the favela the horse sing and all he would be if the majority of brazilians and the vast majority of the people of the ballots are of african descent the faith is in the media and on the airwaves are disproportionately white. When the media do report on the favelas its for all the wrong reasons but jubas a stand. I must draw this is joyous the terminology can be problematic faced by his scumbag ideas bambi it. May be. An official voices are often privileged over voices from within the favela. Many journalists have also imbedded with Security Forces entering the preventives in time one to locals have a cab ride out the big sky. However the dangers for journalists covering this beat. In 2002 to me a reporter from brazil the largest t. V. And what local with tortured to death in what was called a macabre ritual of violence a trademark of the natori a drug lord he was investigating dubbed the madman by rios toppling the brutality of his mug shots brazilians not least knew that it is who have been reluctant to send reporters into the favelas everything. Was a colleague of tim long that. Im not a press or p. R. Officer for the mass Media Companies but we need to be fair here how can i as a journalist report those stories if i conquer in how i need to access these peoples realities and whats the reality that we hear about its violence bad news to. See a jewel my guess. Is the impossibility of access despite the tremendous richness from the favelas we get just one story about them this is not coverage. To cover is to be there but we are not for instance this interview is being recorded in a posh neighborhood in the south would we be able to record this inside of a villa we would need authorization. Is sure its very common to hear t. V. Journalists say that they dont go into the favelas because its too violent we cant deny some of that is true this interview for instance we should be doing it inside the limo but today was an intense day of gunfights it would be irresponsible to tell you come lets do it day if a journalist wants a scoop from inside the for that they should listen to of avella person but what we say doesnt have credit following think edged of f. That is why. Our fundamental because they have a direct link with everyday lives they listen to the residence they give visibility and amplify those voices to have alternative communication tools like not easy poets so speaking out against the logic of war and the dehumanization of black bodies in the favelas is fundamental for my mental. Rios 5 a lot of the people of the favela face the political establishment hell bent on treating them as a hostile population as well as Media Outlets hindered by difficulties of access but also by bias and a tendency to peddle the narrative of war. Amidst all this the media collectives a. B. V. Or heter and the numerous others across rio tell stories from the inside broadcasting a reality seen through the lens of the right. And finally back to where we started the assassination of Kassam Soleimani and the media aftermath. At times like these analyzing web searches can tell us more than what people are looking for what theyre out to learn they also offer a window on our fears and in the hours after killing the use of the search term world war 3 shot up by a factor of 100 so we know what youre thinking out there but desperate times call for dark humor and there are memes for that in the u. S. Many of those memes focused on the possible resumption of the draft the conscription of civilians to fight in a possible war with iran and who knows who else will leave you now with examples of some online humor thats really coping strategy in disguise and well see next time theyre listening post. Today. Hes notorious for creating Fake Passports that full authority of the year is one of many links them to forge. As he reveals the secrets of the strike on aljazeera. Winning best to katyn crime an admission of guilt is the ultimate corroboration. Or is it the or tactics that can be used to get innocent people to confess to crimes they didnt commit witness explores the shocking phenomenon of people incriminating themselves the person who falsely confessed actually came to believe the lie that they were told about their own behavior false confessions on aljazeera. Aljazeera. Where every. Protests in tehran hundreds demand the British Ambassador be kicked out while others rally against irans government. The president didnt say there was a potential he didnt cite a specific piece of evidence and all this as more questions are raised about the threats i said by donald trump to justify the killing of iranian general custom saddam on. Hello again im just out here today and this is al jazeera live from doha also coming up more low