Jeremy Corbyn says the media should have covered Isis attacks in Lebanon and Turkey more prominently
The coverage of the killings was less prominent than that of the attacks in Paris on Friday
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The leader of the Labour party has suggested that the media should have given more prominence to coverage of terrorist attacks in Lebanon and Turkey in the wake of the weekend’s atrocities in Paris.
Jeremy Corbyn drew attention to recent attacks in Ankara and Beirut and said that “a life is a life” no matter where in the world it was taken.
“I think first of all what happened in Paris was appalling, this is a vibrant, multicultural city, young people of all faiths, and older people as well, all there together, and cultures, and this terrible thing happened,” he told ITV1’s Lorraine programme.
“Likewise, which didn’t unfortunately get hardly any publicity, was the bombing in Beirut last week or the killing in Turkey.
“I think our media needs be able to report things that happen outside of Europe as well as inside. A life is a life.”
The lower prominence of coverage of the attacks in Beirut and Ankara has been an emerging theme of social media comment of the Paris killings.
The 10 October attacks on a peace march in Turkey’s political capital killed 102 people and injured 400.
In Lebanon’s capital Beirut Isis claimed responsibility for a Thursday night attack that killed at least 41 people and wounded 200.
The attacks were followed a day later by the murders in Paris where 129 people were killed and over 400 were admitted to hospital with injuries.
The social network Facebook was also criticised for not activating its safety features for the Beirut bombing but doing so for the Paris attack.
The Labour leader also warned during the same interview that a military response in Syria prompted by the attacks could cause “more conflict, more mayhem, and more loss” and that the UK had to ask “big questions” about what was fuelling the conflict in the region.
David Cameron has said he wants British warplanes to join French and American warplanes attacking the Isis militant group in Syria. They are currently dropping bombs in Iraq.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments