PBS, the Armenian Genocide, and political pressure -- airing tonight

[Bozita]

After all, Turkey is an American "ally."

Documentary airs on PBS, tonight at 10 Eastern and Pacific times; 9 p.m., Central time.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/17/arts/television/17stan.html

April 17, 2006

TV Review

A PBS Documentary Makes Its Case for the Armenian Genocide, With or Without a Debate

By ALESSANDRA STANLEY

It is impossible to debate a subject like genocide without giving offense. PBS is supposed to give offense responsibly.

And that was the idea behind a panel discussion that PBS planned to show after tonight's broadcast of "The Armenian Genocide," a documentary about the extermination of more than one million Armenians by the Turkish Ottoman Empire during World War I.

The powerful hourlong film will be shown on most of the 348 PBS affiliate stations. But nearly a third of those stations decided to cancel the follow-up discussion after an intense lobbying campaign by Armenian groups and some members of Congress.

The protesters complained that the panel of four experts, moderated by Scott Simon, host of "Weekend Edition Saturday" on NPR, included two scholars who defend the Turkish government's claim that a genocide never took place. The outrage over their inclusion was an indication of how passionately Armenians feel about the issue; they have battled for decades to draw attention to the genocide.

But the fact that so many stations caved is a measure of something else: PBS's growing vulnerability to pressure and, perhaps accordingly, the erosion of viewers' trust in public television.

more...

[Mr_Spock]

1. I'll have to watch that

I'm sorry to hear about the representation of the Turkish position - there is no excuse for their denial.

[genie_weenie]

2. "After all who remembers the Armenians..."

AH

[Bozita]

3. Here's Newsday's take on the same topic ...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-genocideapr17,0,7523268.story?coll=sfla-features-headlines

Disputes swirl on Armenian Genocide

By Hal Boedeker
Orlando Sentinel -- Newsday

April 17, 2006

Some PBS stations won't air The Armenian Genocide when it premieres tonight. In South Florida, both WPBT-Ch. 2 and WXEL-Ch. 42 are scheduled to show it at 10 p.m.

The documentary explores what former President Teddy Roosevelt called the greatest crime of World War I.

The program describes how the Ottoman Turks, under nationalist leaders, massacred and deported Armenians. Estimates put the death toll as high as 1.5 million. Yet the modern Turkish state denies that genocide happened, and that country's schools teach that reports of the atrocity are groundless.

Not surprisingly, The Armenian Genocide has generated controversy. Los Angeles station KCET refused to show the program and instead will offer a French documentary on the subject.

more...

[Marie26]

4. But honestly,

that's like having two PBS panelists on who deny the Holocaust happened. I can see why the Armenian group would be upset.

[Malikshah]

5. Actually-- it's a bit more involved than that

Quite a bit more.

Holocaust is the the same as the Armenian Genocide. The contexts, events, and losses were quite different.

To deny the Holocaust is to deny clearly seen events etc.

To bring up the context of the Armenian Genocide, the massacres in Turkish muslim villages, the complete ethnic cleansing that went on in the Caucasus -- leads one to be accused of belittling the Armenian genocide.

[Bozita]

6. World-class journalist Robert Fisk had some words on the topic...

http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2006/04/68277.shtml

Fisk underscored how war correspondents do more than deliver the news when he described how the longer journalists stay in regions embroiled in war, the fewer civilians invaders can exterminate. He recalled how military occupiers evacuated journalists from West Beirut so that the reporters could not speak of the horrors they would have witnessed, and saw this technique repeat itself in Iraq. Fisk is one of few journalists who covered the Iraq war from the field. He is a harsh critic of embedded journalism, which he calls “hotel journalism,” to explain a manner of isolation and skittishness with which correspondents report from confined quarters. Charging that journalists who are embedded do the profession a great disservice, Fisk questioned the purpose of war reporting in Iraq: “Reporting for what story?” he asked. “When journalists report from within the heavily-guarded Green Zone, they may as well be filing from Minnesota,” he said.

Fisk spoke frequently and forcefully about the Armenian Genocide of 1915 -- a premeditated, governmental campaign to annihilate the Armenian people and drive them from their ancestral lands, now within the borders of Turkey. He expressed disgust that the Armenian Genocide is today denied by not only the descendants of the perpetrating regime in Turkey, but by the United States and Israel, as well. Nevertheless, Fisk expressed certainty that Genocide recognition is on the horizon. And to emphasize his hope for future reconciliation, Fisk read passages from his book about an Armenian Genocide survivor he’d met who, in his twilight years, prayed for Turks who suffered in the recent Turkish earthquake. Fisk observed how progressive Turkish intellectuals such as Orhan Pamuk and Elif Shafak are struggling to unsheathe the long-suppressed truth about the Armenian Genocide, and said that today more than ever before, “the door is openâ€?if Armenians can walk through it and encourage the Turkish people to walk through it, as well.”

more...

[Bozita]

7. airtime in about 45 minutes

[Bozita]

8. airtime

[madfloridian]

9. It's not even listed on either of my two PBS stations.

Nothing at all about it. I did a search for it, found it, but not listed as being seen in our area at all.

[Bozita]

10. If you're in Florida, see post #3

[madfloridian]

11. Just not in my area...a link to interest you with pictures.

I was especially interested in this as a friend married an Armenian who felt strongly about this issue. I will check further on the show to see if they will show it here.

I think this is a great thing to do, perhaps controversial. But sometimes one must be controversial.

http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/08/20/howard-dean-at-tsitsernakaberd/

Just for your interest.

And I notice there is a comment at this site about why this is getting no attention in America. Guess they haven't heard how selective our media is.
http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/08/22/dean-vows-support-for-genocide-recognition

[Kat45]

12. There are 2 'remember the Armenian genocide' billboards in my town

The town is home to one of the largest Armenian populations in the country. I grew up here, and moved back a few years ago, and I've been hearing about the Armenian genocide for years. There are talks about it, rememberances, etc all around the area. There is even a rememberance 'ceremony' (or whatever one would call it) at the State House (Mass.). In the state, there is a requirement for schools to teach about genocides, including the Holocaust and the Armenian genocide, and there have been arguments going on because there is a group wanting to include 'the other side,' which is vehemently opposed by the local Armenians. It hasn't been settled yet. So I guess I could afford to miss the program, which I did, because I know more Armenian issues than most non-Armenians ever would need to know.