Smearing Chomsky

If you're going to stitch-up someone in an interview, maybe a bad idea to try and do this to the foremost critic of media distortion in Western society. Apart from being a disastrously cynical bit of journalism it comes at a really bad time for the Gruaniad, just when readers are deserting in droves to the perveived integrity of the Indepenent. Media Lens (thanks Chris) has a good piece:

“Q: Do you regret supporting those who say the Srebrenica massacre was exaggerated?

“A: My only regret is that I didn't do it strongly enough.”

Remarkably, and very foolishly, this answer attributed to Chomsky was actually in response to a different question posed during the interview. In a letter to the editor published in the Guardian on November 2, Chomsky explained:

“I did express my regret: namely, that I did not support Diana Johnstone's right to publish strongly enough when her book was withdrawn by the publisher after dishonest press attacks, which I reviewed in an open letter that any reporter could have easily discovered. The remainder of Brockes's report continues in the same vein. Even when the words attributed to me have some resemblance to accuracy, I take no responsibility for them, because of the invented contexts in which they appear.

“As for her personal opinions, interpretations and distortions, she is of course free to publish them, and I would, of course, support her right to do so, on grounds that she makes quite clear she does not understand.

Noam Chomsky” (‘Falling out over Srebrenica,’ The Guardian, November 2, 2005)

Full article here.