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Pacifica's "Free Speech Radio News" Haiti report
on January 2nd worse than "inaccurate."

Right-wing "scandal machine" used as source for Haiti reports.

Is Pacifica Radio now becoming the broadcast arm of the Washington and Republican-funded opposition? The January 2nd report from Port au Prince is the latest in a series of recalcitrant reporting when it comes to Haiti.

Several progressive organizations met with the KPFA news department, last spring, about their consistenly irresponsible reports on Haiti . At that meeting it was made clear that NCHR is a right-wing mouthpiece and should ALWAYS be considered suspect when it comes to providing accurate information. The Executive Director of NCHR, Jocelyn McCalla was interviewed for a lengthly segment as part of this story and again on January 6.

Why would a progressive organization consistently use unsubstantiated reports from known right-wing opposition sources?

Has the elitist Haitian right-wing infiltrated Pacifica's policy making body?

FSRN reporter Simba Russeau can be heard reporting on Bi-Centennial events at Gonaïves in the January 2nd story:

"...after Aristide's speech, thousands of Haitians denouncing the Aristide Administration, took to the streets where they were fired upon by the police and later forbidden to march any further..."

Full January 2nd story on Free Speech Radio News website. [note: Fast Forward on Jan 2nd story to 1/3rd the way through and for Jan 6th story FF 2/3rds]

• FSRN was NOT in Gonaïves. Was their source for the story the right-wing Radio Metropole or Radio Vision 2000? *
• Police did NOT "fire into the crowd." They did fire into the air to disperse the demonstrators. After a demontrator then brandished a revolver the police fired tear gas (not bullets) and arrested the man with the gun. [It should be noted that this organized group of demonstators had promised that Aristide arrived would never be allowed to come to Gonaive]
• Anti-Aristide demonstrators numbered about 200, not "thousands." The pro-government celebrants numbered 5-7,000 not the 2000 number that Associated Press reported.

All this information is confirmed by eyewitness reports from those who were in Gonaïves and Port au Prince at the time.

More to come, stay tuned...

In the next couple of days We will provide more eyewitness details of the Events of that day and these "sources" that FSNR prefers to use for Haiti reports. FSNR was in Port au Prince, why weren't they able to provide the accurate report that shortly after TNH (Haiti National Television) showed images of Aristide speaking in Gonaïves, the opposition began a campaign of violence through the streets of Port au Prince?