Haiti News Watch - June 23, 2005

Analysis:

The St. Petersburg Times made an unsubstantiated claim without citing a single source for the information. While the article attempted to provide a "forced balance" of the causes behind Haiti's violence, this statement enforced the mistaken impression that Aristide supporters are primarily to blame.

Article Title:

Danger arises from all quarters in Haiti
By DAVID ADAMS, Times Latin America Correspondent

St. Petersburg Times Published June 23, 2005 URL: http://www.sptimes.com/2005/06/23/Worldandnation/Danger_arises_from_al.shtml

Quotation:

"Aristide loyalists have broadcast hit lists of their targets - bourgeois businessmen - on the radio."

Infraction: Unsubstantiated claim

Omitted Information:

Source: Polling of organizations and journalists monitoring radio programs in Haiti.

HNW contacted two human rights groups that frequently monitor radiobroadcasts in Haiti. Neither one had ever heard of such a list being read on the air in Haiti.

HNW contacted several leading journalists in Haiti who confirmed they had never heard of such a list being broadcast in Haiti.

Source: Miami Herald Posted on Thu, Jun. 23, 2005

Journalist flees Haiti for Miami

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

Quote: From Richard Widmaier, Owner Radio Metropole: ''We have a situation here that is more similar to what you see happening in Afghanistan and Iraq. It's terrorism,'' he said. ``You have guys who pretend to be supporters of former President Aristide, attacking people in the streets, burning cars and kidnapping people.''

URL: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/11961462.htm

Haiti News Watch (HNW) is an independent organization dedicated to fact checking news sources related to coverage of events in Haiti. Our reports and analysis of news content is intended to provide readers with story context and the background of sources used in published articles related to Haiti.