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Insight (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Insight on the News was an American conservative print and online news magazine. It was owned by News World Communications
, an international media conglomerate then owned by the Unification Church
, which owned The Washington Times
and now owns United Press International
and newspapers in Japan, South Korea, Africa, and South America. Insight's reporting often resulted in journalistic controversy.
". In 1997 Insight reported that the administration of President Bill Clinton gave political donors rights to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery
. This charge was widely repeated on talk radio and other conservative outlets; but was later denied by the United States Army
, which has charge over Arlington Cemetery. Media investigations turned up the burial of M. Larry Lawrence, a former United States Ambassador to Switzerland
at Arlington, which led to a congressional investigation. Republican Party
members of congress searched military records and found no evidence that Lawrence was ever in the Merchant Marine. As a result Lawrence's body was disinterred in 1997 at taxpayers' expense and moved to California
. Richard Holbrooke
, an assistant secretary of state, had helped attain the rights to bury Lawrence at Arlington, and had written a letter to the White House praising Lawrence and saying that he deserved burial at the National Cemetery.
In 1998 CNN
reported that Insight "created a stir" when Paula Jones
, who had filed a sexual harassment
lawsuit against President Clinton, was the magazine's guest at the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner where Clinton spoke. In 1999 Insight criticized Project Megiddo
, an FBI report on possible right-wing terrorism
predicted for the year 2000. In 2000, Insight published a cover story listing what it considered the top 15 colleges in the United States. The list included 3 state-owned schools, 2 evangelical Christian schools, 3 Presbyterian schools, 3 Roman Catholic schools, and 4 secular private schools.
In 2001 Insight published a story on the Soviet Union
's shoot-down of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 which claimed that both the Soviet and American governments had covered up information about the incident. In the same year it printed an article by Dan Smith
which said that immigration
and an ethnicly diverse population helped to protect the United States against terrorism
. This article was reprinted as a chapter in the 2004 book Terrorism: Opposing Viewpoints
.
In 2002 Insight printed a story by Washington Times reporter Steve Miller saying that African Americans were doing well economically. This story was reprinted in the 2005 book Race Relations: Opposing Viewpoints
. In 2004 Insight printed an article by Abdulwahah Alkebsi defending the role of Islam
in bringing democracy
to the Middle East
. The story was reprinted as a chapter in the 2004 book: Islam: Opposing Viewpoints
.
In 2003, Insight misquoted President Abraham Lincoln
as saying during the American Civil War
: "Congressmen who willfully take action during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs, and should be arrested, exiled or hanged." By 2008, this statement was being repeated as if it were true, although Lincoln never said or wrote it.
In 2004, News World Communications
discontinued publication of the print magazine and hired Jeffrey T. Kuhner
to run Insight as a stand-alone website
. Under Kuhner, Insight did not identify its reporters, in what Kuhner described as an effort to encourage contributions from sources who "do not want to reveal their names". Kuhner said about this:
had "spent at least four years in a so-called madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia" Kuhner also claimed that the source said that the Clinton campaign was "preparing an accusation that her rival Senator Barack Obama had covered up a brief period he had spent in an Islamic religious school in Indonesia when he was 6." Senator Clinton denied the allegation. When interviewed by the New York Times, Kuhner did not name the person said to be the reporter's source.
Soon after Insight's story, CNN
reporter John Vause
visited State Elementary School Menteng 01, a secular public school which Obama had attended for one year after attending a Roman Catholic school for three, and found that each student received two hours of religious instruction per week in his or her own faith. He was told by Hardi Priyono, deputy headmaster of the school, "This is a public school. We don't focus on religion. In our daily lives, we try to respect religion, but we don't give preferential treatment."
Students at Besuki wore Western clothing, and the Chicago Tribune
described the school as "so progressive that teachers wore miniskirts and all students were encouraged to celebrate Christmas
". Interviews by Nedra Pickler
of the Associated Press
found that students of all faiths have been welcome there since before Obama's attendance. Akmad Solichin, the vice principal of the school, told Pickler: “The allegations are completely baseless. Yes, most of our students are Muslim, but there are Christians as well. Everyone's welcome here ... it's a public school.”
."
News World Communications
News World Communications, Inc., is an international news media corporation. It was founded in New York City, in 1976, by Unification Church founder and leader, Sun Myung Moon. Its first two newspapers, The News World and the Spanish-language Noticias del Mundo, were published in New York from...
, an international media conglomerate then owned by the Unification Church
Unification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
, which owned The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
and now owns United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
and newspapers in Japan, South Korea, Africa, and South America. Insight's reporting often resulted in journalistic controversy.
Background and history
In 1991 Insight was one of the first publications to use the word "IslamophobiaIslamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
". In 1997 Insight reported that the administration of President Bill Clinton gave political donors rights to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. This charge was widely repeated on talk radio and other conservative outlets; but was later denied by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, which has charge over Arlington Cemetery. Media investigations turned up the burial of M. Larry Lawrence, a former United States Ambassador to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
at Arlington, which led to a congressional investigation. Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
members of congress searched military records and found no evidence that Lawrence was ever in the Merchant Marine. As a result Lawrence's body was disinterred in 1997 at taxpayers' expense and moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Richard Holbrooke
Richard Holbrooke
Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke was an American diplomat, magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker....
, an assistant secretary of state, had helped attain the rights to bury Lawrence at Arlington, and had written a letter to the White House praising Lawrence and saying that he deserved burial at the National Cemetery.
In 1998 CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
reported that Insight "created a stir" when Paula Jones
Paula Jones
Paula Corbin Jones is a former Arkansas state employee who sued U.S. President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment. The lawsuit was dismissed before trial on the grounds that Jones failed to demonstrate any damages...
, who had filed a sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
lawsuit against President Clinton, was the magazine's guest at the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner where Clinton spoke. In 1999 Insight criticized Project Megiddo
Project Megiddo
Project Megiddo was a report researched and written by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation under Director Louis Freeh. Released on October 20, 1999, the report named followers of white supremacy, Christian Identity, the militia movement, Black Hebrew Israelites, and apocalyptic cults...
, an FBI report on possible right-wing terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
predicted for the year 2000. In 2000, Insight published a cover story listing what it considered the top 15 colleges in the United States. The list included 3 state-owned schools, 2 evangelical Christian schools, 3 Presbyterian schools, 3 Roman Catholic schools, and 4 secular private schools.
In 2001 Insight published a story on the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's shoot-down of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 which claimed that both the Soviet and American governments had covered up information about the incident. In the same year it printed an article by Dan Smith
Dan Smith (author)
Col. Dan Smith is a retired U.S. Army colonel and author, who writes articles for Friends Committee on National Legislation , CounterPunch and other anti-war minded publications. With almost three decades of military experience, Smith writes articles on the current Iraq War.-External links:***...
which said that immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and an ethnicly diverse population helped to protect the United States against terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
. This article was reprinted as a chapter in the 2004 book Terrorism: Opposing Viewpoints
Terrorism: Opposing Viewpoints (2004)
Terrorism: Opposing Viewpoints is a book, in the Opposing Viewpoints series, presenting selections of contrasting viewpoints on four central questions about terrorism: whether it is a serious threat; what causes it; how America's domestic war on it should be conducted; and how the international...
.
In 2002 Insight printed a story by Washington Times reporter Steve Miller saying that African Americans were doing well economically. This story was reprinted in the 2005 book Race Relations: Opposing Viewpoints
Race Relations: Opposing Viewpoints
Race Relations: Opposing Viewpoints is a book, in the Opposing Viewpoints Series, presenting selections of viewpoints on four central questions about race relations: what is the state of race relations in America; is racism a serious problem; what should the government do to improve race relations;...
. In 2004 Insight printed an article by Abdulwahah Alkebsi defending the role of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in bringing democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The story was reprinted as a chapter in the 2004 book: Islam: Opposing Viewpoints
Islam: Opposing Viewpoints
Islam: Opposing Viewpoints is a book, in the Opposing Viewpoints series, presenting selections of contrasting viewpoints on four central questions about Islam: whether the values of Islam and the West are in conflict; what the status of women under Islam is; whether Islam promotes terrorism; and...
.
In 2003, Insight misquoted President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
as saying during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
: "Congressmen who willfully take action during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs, and should be arrested, exiled or hanged." By 2008, this statement was being repeated as if it were true, although Lincoln never said or wrote it.
In 2004, News World Communications
News World Communications
News World Communications, Inc., is an international news media corporation. It was founded in New York City, in 1976, by Unification Church founder and leader, Sun Myung Moon. Its first two newspapers, The News World and the Spanish-language Noticias del Mundo, were published in New York from...
discontinued publication of the print magazine and hired Jeffrey T. Kuhner
Jeffrey T. Kuhner
Jeffrey T Kuhner is a radio host, commentator, and journalist. He is a regular contributor to the commentary pages of The Washington Times, where he writes a weekly column, and has written for Human Events, National Review Online and Investor's Business Daily. He is also the president of the , a...
to run Insight as a stand-alone website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
. Under Kuhner, Insight did not identify its reporters, in what Kuhner described as an effort to encourage contributions from sources who "do not want to reveal their names". Kuhner said about this:
- “Reporters in Washington know a whole lot of what is going on and feel themselves shackled and prevented from reporting what they know is going on. Insight is almost like an outlet, an escape valve where they can come out with this information.”
Clinton/Obama controversy in 2008 Presidential Campaign
On January 17, 2007, Insight published a story which claimed that someone on the campaign staff of American presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton had leaked a report to one of Insight's reporters which said that Senator Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
had "spent at least four years in a so-called madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia" Kuhner also claimed that the source said that the Clinton campaign was "preparing an accusation that her rival Senator Barack Obama had covered up a brief period he had spent in an Islamic religious school in Indonesia when he was 6." Senator Clinton denied the allegation. When interviewed by the New York Times, Kuhner did not name the person said to be the reporter's source.
Soon after Insight's story, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
reporter John Vause
John Vause
John Vause, an Australian journalist, is an Atlanta based anchor for CNN International. Before that he was a Beijing correspondent responsible for coverage of China and the region. Before CNN, he was the LA bureau chief for the 7 Network Australia...
visited State Elementary School Menteng 01, a secular public school which Obama had attended for one year after attending a Roman Catholic school for three, and found that each student received two hours of religious instruction per week in his or her own faith. He was told by Hardi Priyono, deputy headmaster of the school, "This is a public school. We don't focus on religion. In our daily lives, we try to respect religion, but we don't give preferential treatment."
Students at Besuki wore Western clothing, and the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
described the school as "so progressive that teachers wore miniskirts and all students were encouraged to celebrate Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
". Interviews by Nedra Pickler
Nedra Pickler
Nedra Pickler is an American national political journalist employed by the Associated Press since 2000. She covered the United States presidential elections in 2004 and 2008...
of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
found that students of all faiths have been welcome there since before Obama's attendance. Akmad Solichin, the vice principal of the school, told Pickler: “The allegations are completely baseless. Yes, most of our students are Muslim, but there are Christians as well. Everyone's welcome here ... it's a public school.”
Closing
In May 2008 Insight ceased publication and said to its readers: "The kind of cutting edge behind-the-scenes political intelligence you have come to rely upon from Insight will now be available from its sister publication, The Washington TimesThe Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
."