‘Poison storm, gas cuts & Cold War II’: How MSM lost the plot over Salisbury attack
Diplomatic relations between Russia and Britain have nosedived in the aftermath of the Sergei Skripal poisoning. Media outlets in the UK and around the world are scrambling over themselves to declare a second Cold War.
British tabloid The Daily Mirror led the charge with a front page that screamed “Cold War II: Putin vows revenge as PM kicks out 23 Russian spooks in poison storm.” And the paper didn’t stop there, emphasizing its hot take by adding: “Britain is braced for Cold War II after Prime Minister Theresa May expelled 23 Russian spies.”
Not to be outdone in the alarmist stakes the Daily Star's front page read "Putin: I'll turn off your gas”, while The Sun's said "Russian crisis ramps up,” beneath a story about a man who claims to be on Russian President Vladimir Putin's "hit list.”
Tomorrow's front page: Cold War II#tomorrowspaperstodayhttps://t.co/8UKhVTDc0ipic.twitter.com/6c6bdPtcTu
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) March 14, 2018
Wednesday's Sun "I'm on Putin's hit list"#tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpapers(via @AllieHBNews) pic.twitter.com/Hd1ZbT1k8A
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) March 13, 2018
The front page frenzy wasn’t limited to the tabloids as the broadsheets were quick to jump aboard. The Times went with “West unites to confront Russia over poisonings” alongside a photograph of President John F Kennedy, who led the US during perhaps the most dramatic phase of the actual Cold War.
Russia was also the subject of front pages splash on The Guardian throughout the week and Scottish paper, The National, were also on point with a suitably ominous red tinged front page.
Tomorrow's Times front page: 55 years after he was killed, John F Kennedy gives his final speech https://t.co/MIukOoxCb0pic.twitter.com/Q1UJwIY63w
— The Times of London (@thetimes) March 15, 2018
Tomorrow's front page ... UK hits back at Russia over spy attack: Sturgeon and SNP back May as 23 diplomats are expelled in biggest crisis since the Cold War pic.twitter.com/ktGtJh2ssg
— The National (@ScotNational) March 14, 2018
Inside the papers have also been chock full of ‘cold war’ fear-mongering material. The Independent went right ahead and declared that Cold War II is already here, while The Express ran a helpful article explaining what exactly a ‘cold war’ is and where the term comes from – now that “Russia v UK war 2018” has arrived.
Russia v UK war 2018: What is a cold war? Where does the term come from? https://t.co/DSbLfPvviFpic.twitter.com/MAJrsKljYb
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) March 15, 2018
Whether or not we are entering a new cold war was also the subject for discussion on numerous TV and radio chat shows around the world. French President Emmanuel Macron took the anti-Russia theme significant lengths by telling reporters at the Paris Book Fair that he pointedly avoided the Russian pavilion. “I decided not to go to the official Russia stall... in solidarity with our British friends,” he told the AFP.
Despite all the dire predictions floating around, Haaretz noted some possible silver lining in the deteriorating diplomatic situation by noting that a cold war could “warm ties” between the Pentagon and the Israeli army.
On CNNTalk at 11am we are asking: Are we entering a new Cold War? Join me @ayeshahazarika@MaxFosterCNN & @LiamHalligan for some good debate on @cnni! pic.twitter.com/TNLkPcb42D
— Iain Dale (@IainDale) March 16, 2018
Friday's Guardian "Corbyn defies critics to warn against rush to judgment on spy poisoning"#tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpapers(via @AllieHBNews) pic.twitter.com/S2vaxR1PuB
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) March 15, 2018
The leader of the UK Labour party Jeremy Corbyn was among the few prominent Western voices urging calm. Corbyn warned against rushing to judgement without full evidence. The Labour leader also said the lack of British diplomacy over the Skripal case could lead to a “McCarthyite intolerance of dissent.”
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