The Dreyfus affair and J'accuse.

Alfred Dreyfus grew up in Paris in the mid - late 1800s, following the France's defeat and subsequent humiliation in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. During this period anti-Semitism was rife throughout Europe, and during the years of French recovery, it became evident that Jewish people were being scapegoated for the embarrassing defeat. Dreyfus was an intelligent French Jew and at a young age was a promising figure high up in the ranks of the French army. In October 1894, he was arrested and charged with passing military secrets to the German embassy. He was convicted of treason and sent to Devil's island where he was left in solitary confinement.


Devil's Island: Drinks prices are extortionate

THE END

Until Emile Zola, a French Journalist, writer and novelist published an open letter to the French President, on the front page of liberal newspaper L'aurore entitled J'accuse. Zola had been at the trial of Dreyfus and was appalled at what he believed was blatant corruption from within the French army. Dreyfus was being framed because he was a Jew and the army needed a scapegoat to keep the French people on their side. Unbelievably, most were aware that another army officer, Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy, was in fact the traitor, eventually undeniable proof was exposed showing Dreyfus to be innocent. Dreyfus was subsequently handed a pardon, but Esterhazy was never proven guilty in court, it seemed as though the French government were trying to protect him and keep the blame on Dreyfus. It would be far more convenient for those in power to be able to blame a Jew.

The Dreyfus affair highlights the effect that Journalism can have on a society both in a positive and a negative sense. A contributing factor to the anti-Semitism that led to the arrest of Dreyfus was the radical far right press scare-mongering and scapegoating. This is not something completely unfamiliar in Britain, with right publications occasionally running stories with anti Islamic undertones. In J'accuse, Zola completely defames many members of the French army but does so with confidence that what he is saying is correct and a belief that what he is doing is entirely in the public interest. He is also not acting with malice, as he states:

"As for the people I accuse, I do not know them, I never saw them, I have against them neither resentment nor hatred. They are for me only entities, spirits of social evil. And the act I accomplished here is only a revolutionary mean for hastening the explosion of truth and justice."

In February 1997, The Daily Mail published a front page, identifying and accusing five men of the Murder of young black student Stephen Lawrence in a racist attack. The Mail invited the men to sue them if this was incorrect but no action was ever taken against the paper. This is widely regarded as a j'accuse moment and seems as though it is largely influenced by Zola's letter. It has led to the archaic double jeopardy law being changed and there is now a chance that these men may be found guilty.

Waterboarding

An interesting video questioning the controversial practice of waterboarding, allegedly used to gain information regarding the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden.

Bin Laden Dead

The Saudi born super-villain Osama Bin Laden has been killed by American forces according to U.S President Barack Obama. The 'mastermind' of the 9/11 attacks has been the subject of a manhunt since 2001 and sat proudly at the top of the FBI's most wanted list. The body has been recovered.