In the Louisiana city of New Orleans, the new year began with a a terrible disaster after a man plowed his car into a crowd of revelers in the early hours of January 1, to kill at least 15 people and injured many others.
The attacker was soon identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old American from neighboring Texas. As the story unfolds, the press reported two main facts that the FBI said about the incident: an ISIL (ISIS) flag was found in Jabbar's car, and his social media had posts that indicated that he may have been “inspired.” by the group. For For many, this was enough to make Jabbar, who was killed at the scene by police gunfire, a terrorist “linked” to ISIL.
Although the FBI says it is investigating the attack as “terrorism”, at the time of this writing, there is. there is no evidence to show Jabbar was ordered by ISIL to destroy US soil. The FBI has not explained the evidence it used to make the decision, nor has it released a detailed explanation of why it happened.
What we do know is that Jabbar was a former US soldier who served in the US military for 13 years, including a deployment to Afghanistan. He is said to have divorced and said he wanted to kill his entire family. All of this complicates the story and casts doubt on what he thinks about what led him to commit mass murder.
Oppose the word of the government
FBI officials and US President Joe Biden's claims that the attacker was “inspired” by ISIL raise important questions about the role of the media. How do we, as journalists, add up what we have said from government statements against what is happening?
Context is the key. Our report on what the authorities have said should be immediately followed by other facts we know about the attacker, what he said and his life. This is especially true when writing a story like this, where the authorities publish controversial news right now, and then quietly repeat it.
Jabbar was not a good-looking young man but a middle-aged soldier with a wealth of life experience and wealth. For all we know he may have been “disillusioned” by his experiences during his time in the US military. What about the problem of his divorce and the anger he says he had for his family?
The point is, we don't know enough. What we do know is that we need to ask a lot of questions.
Meanwhile, the Western press seems to be choosing the easy way out, and following a well-tested strategy in reporting this sad story: “Brown's evil Muslims committed terrorism in the name of ISIL.” The story ignores the complexity of Jabbar's situation and the deeper questions about his mindset, the time he served in Afghanistan and the challenges he faced.
Compare this to how stories about white male shooters are often treated. Journalists strive to treat the offenders and shed light on their mental health, isolation and hardships.
These two standards not only prevent people from learning the full truth about an event that affects their lives in real time, but also reinforce negative stereotypes and further alienate communities. Muslim communities in New Orleans, as well as the attacker's hometown of Houston, for example, many of whom did not know Jabbar, can now be blamed for what they did because of the media's indifference.
The life cycle of the head
As journalists, we know that the process of reporting developing news is a journey. First, we break down the story with the few facts we know, often relying on official lines because that's all we have at the time. This is a logical and necessary first step. But as more emerges, it is our responsibility to avoid simplifying what are often complex and multifaceted issues.
There have been instances where attacks were claimed by ISIL but later revealed to be the work of one individual. In 2016, initial reports about Pulse club shooter Omar Mateen confirmed that he was loyal to ISIL, but further investigation revealed a deeply troubled man. there is no working agreement with the group.
This is because of the consequences of such stories in real life. When media coverage focuses on critical links to ISIL, it increases anti-Muslim sentiment. Prior to 2015 San Bernardino shootingFake news linking the attackers to the main group ISIL helped to boost public support for then-elect Donald Trump's “Muslim ban”. Following 9/11, vague and unsubstantiated claims about Saddam Hussein's relationship with al-Qaeda gained momentum. justifying the invasion of Iraqresulting in hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians and the political instability that led to ISIL.
We also owe it to the families of the victims to reveal and tell the truth about what happened that day. They need to know the real intentions of the attacker and if anything could have been done to prevent the accident.
None of this means we should ignore the potential evidence of something bigger at play here. But awareness is important. As we continue to report on this disaster, let's get the facts straight, it's an important issue to paint an accurate and reliable picture.