Robert Fisk, Nir Rosen and Andrew Gilligan: Propagandists for The Dictator Assad.

From an important investigative essay by Amal Hanano, in Jadaliyya:

"Bashar al-Assad seemed to realize that no news from his side is not necessarily good news. Perhaps in an effort to generate a more favorable narrative, a selective few have been granted access to Syria. These journalists, like Robert Fisk, Andrew Gilligan, and Nir Rosen, are vaguely not escorted, but not undercover. Their articles are branded as “exclusive,” “unique,” with unlimited access to “all sides,” commissioned to expose a radically different side of the revolution than what currently floods the regional and international media outlets which have been based on the steady stream of daily videos and eye-witness accounts. . .Fisk’s recent reportage reads as if he were speaking directly from the presidential palace, or humble, unguarded, "largeish suburban bungalow," if you are to believe Gilligan. And surprisingly, Nir Rosen’s recent series for Al Jazeera English seems to suffer from the same regime-tainted myopia. . ."

Something seriously stinks about the coverage this trio has offered up as "journalism" about the Syrian uprising. Amal is a fine journalist, and she's spent a great deal of time in Syria lately. Her forensic examination of what Fisk, Rosen and Gilligan have fobbed off on the outside world is a must-read.