{"id":6625,"date":"2026-09-30T16:05:27","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T14:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jonathan-cook.net\/blog\/?p=6625"},"modified":"2026-10-01T01:42:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T23:42:14","slug":"reporting-fairford-arrests-free-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jonathan-cook.net\/blog\/2026-09-30\/reporting-fairford-arrests-free-press\/","title":{"rendered":"Reporting of the RAF Fairford arrests blows the idea of a \u2018free press\u2019 out of the water"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"When the establishment media deals with issues in which the West\u2019s war industries are most heavily invested, it happily jettisons even the semblance of critical distance from the state<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to forget that the western media \u2013 the so-called \u201cfree press\u201d \u2013 likes to distinguish itself from media in authoritarian regimes on the basis that, unlike them, it asks critical questions of the powerful, reports facts objectively, and formulates its analyses dispassionately.<\/p>\n

They do propaganda, we do news \u2013 or so the western media argues.<\/p>\n

The feverish coverage since five men were arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning close to RAF Fairford in the UK is blowing a very big hole in that claim.<\/p>\n

Here are the known facts so far.<\/p>\n

Three white vans, bearing the logo of a genuine fuel transit company, were spotted by a local farmer on the road outside her property as she returned from a party. Police arrived promptly and arrested the men, who were all British nationals in their twenties.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, it emerged that one of the arrested men actually called<\/a> the police earlier \u2013 seemingly the reason officers were on the scene so quickly.<\/p>\n

Although the men were initially arrested on explosives charges, no \u201cviable\u201d explosives were found. Although they were arrested on terrorism charges, which allow for 14 days of detention, they were released on bail under normal criminal laws in less than two days.<\/p>\n

\n

UK police can hold terrorism suspects for 14 days without charge. Had police any grounds to believe the men arrested outside RAF Fairford had even the slightest terrorism connection, they would not have been released. They’d still be behind bars.<\/p>\n

But watch the BBC’s Daniel\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/wZCNYCbC5H<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jonathan Cook (@Jonathan_K_Cook) September 28, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n