The Coup: Journalism at Its Worst by Isabel K

National Association of the Haitian Media Covering (Up) the Coup: Journalism at its Worst By Isabel K. Macdonald nent right-wing think tank called the Aristide from Haiti’s airwaves. “[W]e New Haitian Foundation (NHF), decided,” he said, “to put an embargo he National Association of the which—like ANMH—was a member on all communications coming from the Haitian Media (ANMH) has a of the G184. The NHF and G184 were National Palace and from the Presi- Tlongstanding relationship with both funded by CIDA.4] dent.”6 Freedom Network (RL), a CIDA- funded Canadian NGO whose staff in- Richard Widmaïer: Anne-Marie Issa: cludes CBC and Radio Canada journal- According to ANMH co-founder, Ri- ANMH media owners admitted that ists. [See pp.26-33.] According to chard Widmaïer, this influential media their support for overthrowing the CIDA, its funding of RL sowed the owners’ association was forged as “a democratically elected Haitian govern- seeds of “professional journalism,” common front” to “defend our common ment guided their journalistic practices. which is a supposed cornerstone of the interests” from “assaults against the ANMH’s priorities were rationalized Canadian government’s promotion of press” by Aristide’s government.5 with the same rhetoric used by anti- “democracy” in Haiti. Thanks to CIDA, Widmaïer, the director of Radio Aristide activists. For instance, the Canada is pushing the kind of “profes- Metropole, said these assaults included owner and director of Radio Signal FM, sional journalism” needed for “democ- an ultimatum from Aristide’s govern- Anne-Marie Issa—ANMH’s vice presi- racy” by supporting the Haitian equiva- ment telling radio companies to pay dent and a member of both the Steer- lents of Conrad Black. their long overdue taxes. ing Committee and the Communications Widmaïer was also involved in Committee of the G-184—informed me Media Owners help lead ANMH’s late-2003 decision to bar that prior to the 2004 coup, ANMH en- anti-Aristide Movement The integration of the media elite into powerful private and governmental in- stitutions “circumscribes the ability of the news media to be analytically de- .ca/articles/976 tached from the elite persons and or- ganizations they report on.”1 This elite integration was particularly pronounced in the case of the relation- ships between powerful news sources .dominionpaper from the anti-Aristide movement and the Haitian commercial media. Instead www of simply being closely integrated through interlocking directorates and management, powerful news sources and media owners in Haiti were some- times one and the same person! Media Owner Anne-Marie Issa: Leopold Berlanger: Embedded in Haiti’s 2004 Coup Process For example, Leopold Berlanger By Richard Sanders of a handpicked “Council of the Wise.” boasted that he is both a “civil society This Council, which included Anne- activist and a media man.”2 Berlanger ollowing Aristide’s forced re- Marie Issa, then selected Gerard is the director and a main owner of moval from Haiti on February Latortue as Haiti’s new Prime Minis- Radio Vision 2000. Berlanger, who is F29, 2004, Issa played a very ter, and he in turn chose thirteen cabi- a prominent ANMH member, was also prominent role in empowering the ille- net ministers who ran the reign of ter- on the G184’s steering committee. The gal dictatorship that replaced Aristide’s ror that lasted for more than two years. ANMH, he said, provided a space for popularly elected government. The “Council of the Wise” em- “cooperation, decision making, [and] Aristide’s kidnapping was quickly fol- bedded with ANMH vice-president enabling the different commercial me- lowed by an unconstitutional process Issa, remained in place throughout the dia outlets to forge agreements.” This initiated by the U.S., Canadian and coup-installed regime’s two year rule. allowed ANMH to exercise a “very French governments that led the inva- Another member of the Coun- strong impact on public opinion.”3 sion and occupation of Haiti. These cil was Danielle Magloire, who then [Editor’s Note: A co-owner of Vision foreign powers set in motion a process worked for CIDA-funded groups in 2000, Reginald Boulos, was a leader of whereby an unelected regime took the Haiti. (See p.49.) Magloire now works the Group of 184 (G184), see pp.50-53. reigns of power in Haiti. Instrumental for the Canadian government’s Rights Berlanger was also president of a promi- in this illegal process was the creation and Democracy. (See pp.44-47.) 34 Press for Conversion! (Issue # 62) May 2008 Association Nationale des Medias Haitiens Canadian Media ANMH’s “Lies” Haitian Proverb: within CIDA milieu Spread by Foreign News “Malere pa dezonè.” Canadian journalists in Haiti One deputy bureau chief at a major in- kept with the observed ten- ternational newswire agency said their “Poverty is not dency of newsworkers to iden- staff reporter in Haiti “relied heavily on a dishonor.” tify “legitimate” non-official Radio Metropole.” sources through their own per- In hindsight, this anonymous sonal and professional net- newswire agency boss reflected that the works, and through the medi- ANMH stations—owned as they were ating forces of their own (typi- by heavy-handed G184 activists— cally white, middle class) so- regularly disseminated “lies...[and] cial position and values. These propaganda.” It was “nuts” from the journalists’ social networks in- perspective of “reporting the truth” for cluded a heavy representation foreign newswires to rely on ANMH of individuals from the Cana- reports. “Suddenly it made me wonder GOAL 1979 dian foreign policy establish- if we could trust any of what we’d been ment. Canadian officials there- reporting.”16 [See “A Case Study of sured that their journalists attended all fore played an important role in help- ANMH Lies,” p.37.] anti-Aristide demonstrations and cov- ing journalists identify “legitimate” This news wire’s reports formed ered them “correctly.” This, she said, news sources. Guy Fillion, a Radio a basis for much of the Canadian news was because they thought the “civil so- Canada journalist employed in Haiti by coverage in Haiti prior to the 2004 ciety” initiative was “a noble cause. It the CIDA-funded Freedom Network coup. And, when Canadian journalists was our own way as the media to com- (RL), had a high regard for ANMH. This arrived in Haiti during the coup, they bat the dictatorship.”7 perspective, he explained, came from RL relied directly on ANMH stations. Issa herself said that she con- which enjoyed a close partnership with Three of the four Canadian jour- stantly met with the organizers of anti- ANMH. Fillion saw ANMH as “pro- nalists I talked to said they relied on Aristide protests.8 Haitian...pro-neutral journalistic peo- ANMH radio sources, like Metropole 13 17 Haitian Journalists work ple.” and Signal FM. Even the wire service Similarly, Canada’s ambassador whose deputy bureau chief saw ANMH within the Opposition to Haiti was one of those consulted by as a bastion of “lies,” said they relied Routine coverage of anti-Aristide CBC TV reporter Neil Macdonald to extensively on the G184-affiliated sta- events by Haitian reporters eventually determine that National Coalition for tions like Metropole.18 helped blur the social and cultural lines Haitian Rights (NCHR) director, Pierre between journalists and their news Esperance, was Haiti’s most credible Techniques of ANMH’s sources. Journalists who accompanied human rights source. [See p.37.] He held G184 media events were housed and this view despite the fact that scandal Information Warfare fed with the anti-Aristide activists.9 As had forced NCHR to change its name. The opposition to Aristide’s govern- a former Radio Vision 2000 journalist Macdonald also thought Canada’s ment used a media strategy that in- put it, “we were really not apart.”10 government was one of the world’s cluded generating positive publicity for Their ideals and values became one. most authoritative sources on conflict themselves and their events, while cre- Romney Cajuste, an ANMH resolution. His most trusted sources for ating negative coverage of Aristide’s journalist on the anti-Aristide protest background information in Haiti were government and his supporters. Their beat, also said the movement against in Canadian diplomatic circles, espe- deceptive techniques included: Aristide was a “noble cause.” It was, cially CIDA: “I know these people and he said, “the only way to convince the I have a lot of respect for them,” “they Boosting anti-Aristide demos international community that Aristide are remarkably well informed.”14 Demonstrations against Aristide in late needed to go.”11 Following the 2004 Similarly, when Montréal Ga- 2003-early 2004 became a staple for coup, Romney became a “fixer” help- zette journalist Susan Montgomery did journalists at ANMH radio stations. For ing Canadian journalists make connec- a story about women’s rights in Haiti, example, Boulos’s Vision 2000 sent tions with anti-Aristide news sources. her main source of organizational con- journalists to every anti-Aristide dem- Haiti’s media owners and anti- tacts was her husband, who worked for onstration, “no matter how small.”19 Aristide protest organizers constantly Equitas—a CIDA-funded organization. Despite ample resources, anti- crossed paths at forums and seminars. His contacts put her in touch with Aristide organizers often failed to bring The former president of a U.S.-funded, CIDA-funded groups in Haiti, that gave out a decent crowd. However, the anti-Aristide students’ group, the FEUH her the impression

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