[Choice Times=By Sang-Hyun Park, Staff Reporter]

On the Jan. 4 edition ofNewsdesk, MBC reported the news of the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States with the headline, “ …President of a Sovereign State Arrested and Taken Away.” In the eight reports that followed, the word “sovereignty” was repeatedly emphasized.

The arrest of President Maduro by the United States can, of course, be viewed from the perspective of “sovereignty.”
However, there are also other perspectives: drug cartels, human rights abuses, anti-American long-term dictatorship, rigged elections, Chinese involvement, and oil resources.

That a terrestrial broadcaster like MBC reports such an international issue solely from the perspective of “sovereignty” and “Maduro’s supporters” risks being seen as a loss of balance in reporting, or as biased anti-American agitation.

This stands in stark contrast to MBC’s coverage when Russia invaded Ukraine. At the time, MBC explained the situation from Putin’s point of view, saying, “President Putin declared a special military operation to protect residents of the Donbas region….” The framing could not be more different.

On the 5th, the Citizens’ Coalition for Fair Media issued an official statement titled “Why Is MBC Angry About the Arrest of Maduro,” criticizing the coverage.

The group said, “The sovereign of Venezuela is its people, but MBC seems to have little interest in what they think. In a 20-minute broadcast, only a single sentence addressed their views.” It added, “Due to the misrule of Venezuela’s left-wing government, 20 percent of the population—7 million people—have fled abroad. Those who no longer need to fear the leftist regime are celebrating Maduro’s arrest.”

The statement continued, “MBC reported in detail North Korea’s reaction to Maduro’s arrest even before covering the responses of South Korean political parties.” It criticized MBC for reporting that “a spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry condemned the arrest, saying it was a ‘violent violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty’ and ‘another example confirming the thuggish and barbaric nature of the United States.’”

It further noted, “Even in subsequent reports on the reactions of South Korean political parties, the focus was on criticizing the People Power Party.” When the party commented that “if excessive money-printing, monopolization of power, suppression of the opposition, and pressure on the media become routine, South Korea could head down the same path,” MBC reportedly responded with a headline calling the remark “absurd” and launched a fierce attack.

Below is the full text of the Citizens’ Coalition for Fair Media’s statement, “Why Is MBC Angry About the Arrest of Maduro”:

U.S. special forces arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. On Jan. 4, MBC’sNewsdeskreported the news with an unusually angry tone. The top online headline was “ …President of a Sovereign State Arrested and Taken Away.” Throughout eight reports, the word “sovereignty” was repeated.

This is puzzling. When Russia invaded Ukraine, MBC did not speak this way. On Feb. 24, 2022, theNewsdeskanchor said: “President Putin declared a special military operation to protect residents of the Donbas region, and Russia said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.” The outbreak of war was explained from Russia’s perspective. That day, Ukraine’s “sovereignty” was not mentioned even once.

The sovereign of Venezuela is its people, yet MBC appeared to show little interest in what they think. In a 20-minute broadcast, only one sentence addressed them: “Some Venezuelans burned U.S. flags and held rallies, or supported the U.S. military operation, but most remained inside their homes out of fear, according to foreign media.” That was all. There was no explanation of what Venezuelans were afraid of.

“The law here stipulates that anyone who supports, calls for, or finances any kind of military invasion by a foreign country faces up to 30 years in prison, so those who oppose such views may not be able to speak out at all.” This was reported by the BBC. It is regrettable that one must rely on foreign media to understand the situation in Venezuela.

Due to the failures of the left-wing government, 20 percent of the population—7 million people—have fled abroad. Those who no longer need to fear the leftist regime are celebrating Maduro’s arrest.

MBC turned a blind eye to this. Instead, it reported only that “protests against U.S. airstrikes were held in major U.S. cities.” This could be described as a rare case of “pro-Maduro broadcasting” in the Western world.

MBC reported North Korea’s reaction in detail before covering the responses of South Korean political parties: “A spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry condemned the arrest, calling it a violent violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty and an example confirming the thuggish and barbaric nature of the United States.”

In the subsequent reports on South Korean parties, the focus was again on criticizing the People Power Party. When the party warned that “if excessive money-printing, monopolization of power, suppression of the opposition, and pressure on the media become routine, South Korea could head down the same path,” MBC attached the headline “absurd” and harshly criticized the statement.

There is no need for suppression of the opposition, turning the judiciary into a servant, or controlling the media. Why, then, is MBC so angry? If inflation is not triggered by reckless money-printing, if economic losses are not self-inflicted through friction with the United States, if companies are not treated as the ruling party’s piggy bank and driven to ruin—why react so defensively?

Perhaps the Venezuelan situation does not feel like someone else’s problem. It seems MBC reporters may feel the same way.

#MediaBias
#PressAccountability
#SovereigntyDebate