The death of Osama bin Laden allows for an evaluation of the global media in response to an enormous public interest event. In retrospect, global media agencies acted promptly with releasing information to the public, although, much of this information was not truthful and accounts were often conflicting.
The London Telegraph reported that one of the four helicopters crashed and burned after it was “apparently hit by fire from the ground.”[1] The Wall Street Journal reported, “two American helicopters took part in the operation…one Pakistani helicopter involved in the raid crashed after it was hit by firing from militants.”[2] A Time article stated that the number of helicopters on the mission was four.[3] ABC News reported that “one of the US helicopters, a CH47 Chinook, was damaged but not destroyed in the operation, and US forces elected to destroy it themselves with explosives.”[4]
Reporting surrounding the cooperation of Pakistan in the operation was also conflicting. ABC News reported that Pakistani intelligence agencies were “involved in this operation.”[5] Fox News cited senior Obama administration officials who said the United States shared intelligence on the compound with no other country.[6] President Obama stated in an address, "Our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding."[7] However CBS News reported "they didn't even inform the Pakistani government that this was happening. The Pakistani government found out when things started going boom at this villa."[8]
There is however no doubt that the death of Osama bin Laden deprives Islamic fundamentalist terrorism of a key symbol and global media outlets on a topic of interest.
Why is it a topic of interest? See my previous comments on the Part 2 blog.
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