US healthcare reform-18 Sep 09 - Part 2

On the Listening Post this week, the US media divide over Obamas proposed healthcare reforms, and double standards for foreign and local journalists in Afghanistan. We begin this week by taking a look at Barack Obamas healthcare reform debate that is still raging through The American airwaves. It is less of a media debate than it is an all-out dogfight. The opposing views seem irreconcilable, the middle ground is shrinking to non-existent, and the mainstream media are not helping. Buzzwords like death panels, government takeover and slippery slope to socialism are all over the corporate media but where are the voices that helped get Obama elected and how are the big money lobbyists from the private health care interests and insurance companies using the media to get their views across? And what of the American public, who are caught up and confused in the crossfire? In part two Listening Posts Meenakshi Ravi reports on Afghanistan, and the dangers of reporting there, for journalists both foreign and local. On September 9th, a NATO team rescued a New York Times correspondent, Stephen Farrell, from his Taliban kidnappers. Farrells Afghan colleague, Sultan Munadi did not make it out live - and his body was abandoned by his would be rescuers. The story has been reported two ways in the west the focus was on the Times reporter and the British soldier who died in the shootout in Afghanistan, the story was about the reporter who died and whether the military raid was a good idea <b>...</b>
Author: AlJazeeraEnglish
Duration: 9:55



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US healthcare reform-18 Sep 09 - Part 2