Press TV, others targeted for their independence, alternative line: ANSWER Coalition member
A member of the anti-war and anti-racism umbrella group, ANSWER Coalition, says the dozens of websites that have been targeted by the US Justice Department recently, came under attack due to their refusal to sing in chorus with the Washington-desired discourse.
Brian Becker made the remarks to Press TV’s The Debate program on Wednesday after the Department shut down the Iranian news network’s website among over 30 Iranian and regional websites for a number of reasons, including “disinformation.”
Becker was being asked how come the US had resorted to the move, while it alleges that “’freedom of speech’ was one of the pillars of its so-called democracy.
“Many people in the US read it, and they read it because they’re not satisfied with the mainstream corporate-owned media in the US that functions largely as an eco chamber for the US policy,” he said.
The expert said that the US “has been very hostile towards Iran and towards the Iranian people for many decades.”
The move was also Washington’s way of telling the very American people that they were not free to choose their sources of information, he said.
If the Americans dared thinking that they had the right to obtain information that were irreconcilable with the US administration’s favorite line, “we (the US administration) are gonna snatch it (this right) from you by seizing the website that you rely on for independent alternative news,” the expert said.
Becker, meanwhile, noted how the US has been trying to portray itself as a “steward” over the Internet, but one that would use its alleged stewardship “as a political lever for American foreign policy.”
Denijal Jegig, author and researcher, who was also being interviewed by the program, echoed some of these remarks.
He noted that the information that Press TV had been disseminating was contrary to the major narrative of the US’s government and foreign policy.
Jegig added that the network had been targeted because Washington was attempting to silence certain voices, especially in the West Asia region.
The guest put the attack down to the “imperialist and colonialist dimension” of the American policy concerning the region.
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