Caitlin Johnstone: When Journalism Standards Vanish
November 18, 2022
Because Russia and Iran are both viewed as enemies of Washington, Western
news media often feel comfortable publishing any old claim about them as
fact regardless of sourcing or evidence.
By Caitlin Johnstone
CaitlinJohnstone.com
Two false news reports went viral this week due to sloppy sourcing and
journalistic malpractice. As usual they both featured bogus claims about
U.S.-targeted nations, in this case Russia and Iran.
（続く）
Another false story that went extremely viral was one that Newsweek has been
forced to extensively revise and correct that was initially titled “Iran Votes
to Execute Protesters, Says Rebels Need ‘Hard Lesson’,” but is now titled
“Iran Parliament Chants ‘Death to Seditionists’ in Protest Punishment Call.”
The latest correction notice now reads,
“This article and headline were updated to remove the reference to the
Iranian Parliament voting for death sentences. A majority of the parliament
supported a letter to the judiciary calling for harsh punishments of protesters,
which could include the death penalty.”
・〜 that was initially titled “Iran Votes to Execute Protesters, Says Rebels
Need ‘Hard Lesson’,”〜
ここの that は関係代名詞で、先行詞は one（one はもちろん代名詞で、story を
指す）。
この one に [that Newsweek has been forced to extensively revise and correct]
と、 [that was initially titled 〜 but is now titled 〜 ] の2つの関係詞節が
かかっている。
・Iran Votes to Execute Protesters, Says Rebels Need ‘Hard Lesson’
新聞の見出しはしばしば簡略な表現が使用される。ここでは、文法・構文的にきちんと
書けば、
Iran （Parliament） Voted to Execute （the）Protesters, （and Iran Parliament）
Said （that）（the） Rebels Need ‘Hard Lesson’
ということになる。
新聞の見出しの英語表現では、このように冠詞や and などの接続詞が省略される、
また、過去の事象が現在形で表現される。
「イラン議会は抗議者を死刑に処すことに投票した。そして、抗議者には『厳しい教訓』
が必要と述べた」。
新聞の見出しにおける英語の簡略な表現についてはネットで検索するといろいろある
ので、それらに一度はざっと目を通しておくことを推奨します。
Moon of Alabama explains how the Newsweek piece was the springboard that
launched the viral false claim that the Iranian government had just sentenced
15,000 protesters to death, which was circulated by countless politicians,
pundits and celebrities throughout social media. This claim has been debunked
by mainstream outlets such as NBC News, which explains that “There has been
no evidence that 15,000 protesters have been sentenced to death. Two protesters
had been sentenced to death as of Tuesday, although they can appeal, according
to state news agencies.”
・as of 〜 は熟語。
〜の時点で、〜現在で、〜を基点としてそれ以後は
We had the following balances with you as of December 31st, 19__.
貴社との勘定残高は19＿年12月31日現在で以下のとおりです。
This agreement made as of September 4, 2002, by and between X and Y.
本契約は2002年9月4日にX社とY社との間で締結された。
・〜 the viral false claim that the Iranian government had just sentenced
15,000 protesters to death, which was circulated 〜
claim の後の that は「同格」の that。
which はもちろん関係代名詞で、先行詞は [the viral false claim（that the Iranian
government had just sentenced 15,000 protesters to death）]である。
・There has been no evidence that 〜
ここの that も「同格」。
An article by The Cradle, “Fact check – Iran has not sentenced ‘15,000’ protesters
to death,” explains that the Iranian parliament actually just signed a letter urging
the Iranian judiciary to issue harsher sentences upon protesters who’ve been
demonstrating against Tehran. Those sentences can include the death penalty as
noted above, but up to this point have more often entailed prison sentences of
five-to-10 years.
The Cradle also notes that even the “15,000” figure is suspect, as its sole source
is an American organization funded by the U.S. government’s National Endowment
for Democracy:
・as noted above はほとんど決まり文句、慣用表現で、「上述の通り・上記のように］。
細かく言えば、この as は文法的には関係代名詞で、先行詞は前の文の内容であると
されている。
同じパターンに、
as always や as usual（いつものように）、as follows（以下の通り）などがある。
・up to this point
今［これ］までの（ところ）、この時点までに［は］、ここに来る［至る］まで、
今の今まで
・entail〔〜を〕必然的に伴う
What will that entail for you? それはあなたにどのようなことを引き起こすのでしょうか？
・prison sentence は「実刑判決」。
・figure はここではもちろん「数字」の意。
・National Endowment for Democracy は「米国民主主義基金」（略式 NED）。
“Further muddying the waters, the figure of 15,000 protesters detained by
Iranian authorities originates from the Human Rights Activists News Agency
(HRANA).
US-based HRANA is the media arm of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI),
a group that receives funding from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)
– a CIA soft power front that has for decades funded regime-change efforts
across the globe.”
Indeed, it’s public knowledge that NED is funded directly by the U.S.
government, and that according to its own cofounder was set up to do overtly
what the C.I.A. used to do covertly. It’s possible that the 15,000 figure
could be more or less accurate, and it’s possible that a great many more
Iranian protesters will be sentenced to death for their actions, but reporting
such possibilities as a currently established fact is plainly journalistic
malpractice.
・overtly〔行為が（何も隠そうとせず）〕公然と、あからさまに
She overtly called attention to the fact that she was single.
彼女はあからさまに自分が独身だという事実に注意をひこうとした。
発音 ouvə́ːrtli オウヴァートゥリィ
・covertly こっそり、極秘に
・a currently established fact は英辞郎の以下の記載を参照。
established fact 既成（の）事実、確立された［揺るぎない］事実
now-established fact 現在確立されている事実
・malpractice
1.〔医療や弁護などの〕ミス、過誤、医療ミス［過誤・事故］
The physician was sued for medical malpractice in the wake of the patient's death.
その内科医は患者の死後、医療過誤で訴えられた。
2. 違法行為
発音 mæ̀lprǽktis マルプラクティス
・it’s public knowledge that NED is funded directly by the U.S. government,
and that according to its own cofounder was set up to do overtly what the
C.I.A. used to do covertly.
it はもちろん形式主語で、that 以下が真主語。
〜 and that according to its own cofounder was set up to 〜
の部分は、
and that （NED）（according to its own cofounder） was set up to 〜 で、
「（NEDは）、その共同創設者によれば、〜 するために創設された」。
according to 〜 はもちろん熟語で「 〜 によれば」。
set up の後の to 〜 は、副詞的用法の目的を表す to不定詞。
〜 do overtly [what the C.I.A. used to do covertly
「[CIAがかつてこっそりとやっていたこと]を公然とやる」。
In April, Newsweek published an article titled “Russians Raped 11-Year-Old
Boy, Forced Mom to Watch: Ukraine Official.” In May, Newsweek published an
article titled “Ukraine Official Fired Over Handling of Russian Sexual Assault
Claims.” It was the same official. Newsweek made no mention of the fact that
its source for its sexual assault story had just been fired for disseminating
unevidenced claims about sexual assault. To this day its April report contains
no updates or corrections.
・sexual assault は「性的暴力、性的暴行、レイプ」。
sexual assault allegation 性的暴行の主張［申し立て］
sexual assault case 性的暴行事件
・disseminate
他動詞
1.〔情報・思想などを〕広める
The Internet has made it possible to disseminate information easily.
インターネットのおかげで、簡単に情報を広めることができるようになりました。
2.〔種を〕ばらまく
自動詞
〔情報・思想などが〕広まる
発音 disémənèit ディセミネイト
Contrast this complete dereliction of journalistic responsibility with
Newsweek’s extreme caution when one of its reporters tried to report on the
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, scandal which
disrupted the U.S. government narrative about an alleged chemical weapons
attack by the Syrian government. Reporter Tareq Haddad was forbidden by his
superiors to write about the many leaks coming out exposing malfeasance in
the Douma investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons, on the basis that NED-funded Bellingcat had disputed the leaks and
that other respectable outlets had not reported on them.
・dereliction
1. 放棄、遺棄 ◆derelictの派生語
2.〔意図的・意識的な〕職務怠慢 ◆【類】delinquency（〔支払い・職務などの〕
滞納、怠慢）
Soldiers who run from battle are guilty of dereliction of duty.
戦闘から逃げた兵士は、職務怠慢の罪を犯していることになる。
・the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, scandal
は「化学兵器禁止機関（略称 OPCW）の不当行為」にしておく。
・dispute
自動詞
議論する、口論する
他動詞
1.〔〜を〕議論する、〔〜について〕論争する
2.〔〜を〕疑う、〔〜に〕異議を唱える ◆あるものの真正さや正当性を疑うこと。
No one disputed the importance of chemistry as a prerequisite for microbiology.
細菌学の前提科目としての化学の重要性に対しては誰も異議を唱えなかった。
3.〔〜を〕獲得しようとする、争って得ようとする
The 10 teams disputed the prize money. 10チームがその賞金を争った。
4.〔〜と〕対立［敵対］する、〔〜に〕抵抗する
There were many people who disputed the actions of the government during
the war. 戦時中政府の活動に抵抗した人が多くいた。
・Reporter Tareq Haddad was forbidden by his superiors to write about 〜
ここも上記と似たような読み方が要求される。
〜 was forbidden（禁止された）と書かれてあるからには、「何を？」と心中で問い、
後の to 〜 を見た瞬間に、これがいわゆる to不定詞の名詞的用法の「 〜 すること」の
意で、前の was forbidden の目的語を導くのであろうと予測するのである。
〜 was forbidden（by his superiors）to write about 〜
・the many leaks coming out exposing malfeasance in the Douma investigation
coming out は現在分詞で、前の the many leaks を修飾する。
その後の exposing malfeasance 〜 の方は分詞構文で「付帯状況」または「結果」を
表す用法であると解釈できる。
the many leaks which had come out, exposing malfeasance 〜
書き換えれば、
the many leaks which had come out and exposed malfeasance 〜
となろう。
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting has published numerous articles documenting
what Adam Johnson calls the North Korea Law of Journalism, which holds that
“editorial standards are inversely proportional to a country’s enemy status.”
In other words, the more unfavorably a foreign government is viewed by the U.S.
empire, the lower the editorial standards for reporting claims about them.
Because Russia and Iran are both viewed as enemies of Washington, Western
news media often feel comfortable just publishing any old claim about them as
fact regardless of sourcing or evidence.
We saw this highlighted during the insanity of Russiagate, where mainstream
news outlet after mainstream news outlet was caught publishing unevidenced
conspiratorial hogwash that it was often (though not even always) forced to
retract. This was possible because when it comes to implicating Russia the
evidentiary standards for reporting are much lower than they would be for
implicating a government that is held in favor by the U.S.
・mainstream news outlet after mainstream news outlet 〜
ここは、[A after A] のパターンで、「反復」を表す用法。
day after day（来る日も来る日も）
have meeting after meeting（次々と会議を開く）
（ジーニアス英和辞典より）
And this is the case because the Western mainstream media are the propaganda
services of the U.S.-centralized empire. They do not exist to tell people the
truth, they exist to manipulate the public into hating the official enemies of
the empire and into consenting to foreign-policy agendas that they would not
otherwise consent to.
Imperial propagandists lower their editorial standards when reporting on
official enemies not because they are bad at their job, but because they are
very good at their job. It’s just that their job isn’t what we’ve been told.
1名詞
1. 場合、状況
2. 実例、事例、ケース
3.〔病気の〕症状、症例
4.〔症例としての〕患者
5. 事実、現実、真相
That's always the case with her. 彼女はいつもそうだ。
That's not necessarily the case. 実状は必ずしもそうとは限らない。
That's not always the case. そうとも限らない。
That's the case. 事実はそうだ。
I thought this would be the case. それぐらいのことはあると思った。
6. 問題、難問、困難
7.〔警察などの公的機関が捜査すべき〕事件、事態
8.《法律》訴訟、裁判事件 ◆【同】court case
The case will definitely be dropped. この訴訟は、不起訴は間違いない。
9.《法律》〔主張の〕論拠、証拠
10.〔賛否の〕議論、主張
11.〈話〉変人、奇人、変わり者
（以下は省略）
2名詞
1.〔物を保管するための〕容器、ケース、入れ物
2.〔中身の入った〕箱、ケース◆【略】c. ; C. ; cs.
3.〔保護や装飾用の〕覆い、カバー
4. スーツケース、旅行かばん
5.〔ピストルの〕ペア、2丁
6.〔窓やドアのなどの〕枠 ◆【同】casing
（以下は省略）
1. 〔検討すべき〕課題［議題］（一覧）、アジェンダ
Agenda is as follows. : 議題は次のとおり。
What's first on the agenda? : 議題の最初の項目は何ですか。◆会議の冒頭で使われる。
The agenda for the meeting was posted on the notice board.
会議の議題［日程］が掲示板に貼られた。
2. 〔当面の〕予定、スケジュール
3. 〔発言や行動に隠された〕意図、底意、計略
When the facts don't fit the policy, they charge people with having a political
agenda.
事実が政策と合わないと、人々は政治的な計略を持っていると非難される。
・They do not exist to tell people the truth, they exist to manipulate the
public 〜
ここは、通常は2つ目の they の前に接続詞が置かれるところであるが、コンマ[ , ]
でつながれている。これは「並列」の用法である。似た次元の事柄を接続詞なしにつなぐ。
それによって表現の簡潔さ、リズムのよさなどを狙うのである。
有名な例は
I Came, I Saw, I Conquered.（来た、見た、勝った）（カエサルの言葉）
など。
文学作品ではよく使われる手法である。
