Tarih, Gazetecilik ve Propaganda: Robert Fisk ve "Ermeni Sorunu"

Kasım 2020 tarihinde hayatını kaybeden İngiliz gazeteciRobert Fisk, I. Dünya Savaşı yıllarında Ermenilerinakıbetine odaklanan Ermeni Ulusal Merkezi’nin tutkulubir savunucusuydu. Kendi zamanının en iyi ve en etkilisavaş muhabirlerinden biri olarak görülen Fisk,akademik bir yazarın ulaşabileceğinden çok daha genişkitleler için yazılar kaleme almaktaydı. Mesleğindekidürüstlük konusundaki itibarı, yazdıklarına gerçeğindamgasını vurmuştu. Fakat bu makalenin de ortayakoyduğu üzere, hırslı bir savunucu, bir gazetici gibitarafsızlık, denge ve hikayeyi doğrulama gibi işinintemellerini oluşturan unsurlara kendisini adayarak eşzamanlı bir şekilde yazamaz. Fisk’in durumunda, ErmeniSorunu üzerine ortaya koyduğu kitap bölümleri ve gazeteyazıları incelendiğinde bir gazeteci olduğu ortayaçıkmakta. Yazar, savaş zamanı propagandasına vesorgulanabilir belgelere oldukça güvenmekte,doğruluklarını denetlememekte ve en korkunç iddialarıbile gerçek olarak sunmaktadır. Fisk sahip olduğugörüşler ile bu unvanı hak etti fakat 1914-18 yıllarıarasındaki Osmanlı tebaasının yaşadığı felaket ve takipeden ikincil savaşlar hakkında güvenilir açıklamalar içinokuyucularının başka bir yere bakması gerekmektedir.

HISTORY, JOURNALISM AND PROPAGANDA:ROBERT FISK AND THE “ARMENIAN QUESTION”

The British journalist Robert Fisk, who died inNovember, 2020, was for many decades apassionate advocate of the Armenian nationalcentre, centring on the fate of Ottoman Armeniansduring the First World War. Regarded as one ofthe finest war correspondents of his time, and oneof the most influential, Fisk wrote for a globalaudience far wider than could be reached by theauthor of an academic article. His reputation forintegrity in reporting put the stamp of truth onwhatever he wrote. However, as this articledemonstrates, the impassioned advocate cannotsimultaneously write as a journalist committed tothe fundamentals of his craft (objectivity, balanceand fact-checking to get the story straight). One orthe other has to give way, and in Fisk’s case, as anexamination of his newspaper articles and his bookchapter on the Armenian issue reveal, it was thejournalist. Fact-checking is almost wholly absent;the most lurid claims are presented as fact; and theauthor relies heavily on wartime propaganda andquestionable ‘documents.’ Fisk was entitled to theviews he held, but for reliable accounts of thedisaster that overwhelmed all Ottoman subjects in1914-18 and during the secondary wars thatfollowed, his readers should look elsewhere.

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