Of all my time-wasting obsessions, one of the worst is reading biased journalism. I can’t help it. Nothing keeps me reading like a really biased news story. Call it morbid fascination. It’s just so interesting to see how journalists try to manipulate emotions.
The latest example that caught my eye was this one: White Police Chief Taboo - at least, that’s my translation of the main headline in De Telegraaf last Saturday. If you can read Dutch, check it out: Blanke politiebaas taboe. NRC Handelsblad covers the story in English (and with a lot more balance!) on its international page.
It seems the Dutch Interior Minister Guusje ter Horst has refused to install a white male as the next police chief in South Holland province. The minister and the police corps have agreed that a percentage of Dutch police chiefs should be either women or men from an ethnic minority background. Therefore, hiring practices have to change. The headline in De Telegraaf promises to make its readers’ blood boil with stories of injustice against the beleaguered and besieged white male (an angle that has potential punch, you’d think, in the Obama Age).
Minister Ter Horst (on the right) doing the politically correct thing, attending the Amsterdam Gay Pride Parade along with Education Minister Plasterk (left) in the summer of 2008
De Telegraaf backs off from this explosive theme, however, opting to focus on the safer territory of sexual politics. The paper tells us that several women have been given preferential treatment over men in the hiring process at the top of the Dutch police corps. A very old argument is repeated, namely that it’s fine to hire more women, sure: but not if there are more qualified men. I think the paper has missed the point. If the government has decided to alter the ethnic and gender balance on the police corps, it’s because it considers the candidates’ ethnicity and gender to be, in a sense, qualifications. De Telegraaf’s regular readers have blogged like mad about this story. As an American, I can hear Archie Bunker turning in his grave.
Last 5 posts by
- Small news, bad habits - March 16th, 2009
on Mar 10th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Robert Chesal, this is what is happening in India, since independence. This is called Reservation…A bias against merit, when ethnicity, colour, caste, region, and sex of the candidate becomes a qualification. The meritorious rot in low positions as these ‘well qualified’ bask happily… And I remember reading India bashing on RNW, as to how low castes should be given preferential treatment, despite their being not fit for the job or a course. Wonder why now, the White blood is boiling, when that same virus is in your society!!! You should rejoice at what you preach to us!