Media Bias - In Iraq reporting

The Truth About Iraq (Blog) ^ | 10/22/04 | ?

[LoneStarC]

A small percentage of reporters are actively slanting the story. I don't want to take anything away from the majority of journalists who, as I have said, are extremely brave and doing work under extremely adverse circumstances. However, some percentage - ten percent, twenty percent, thirty percent€ it is difficult to say - is actively slanting their coverage.

For instance, I was at a party one night, chatting with a producer from one of the major networks who I had just met. After about five minutes of normal, mundane conversation, it came out that I am a Republican. She said "You Nazi!" and proceeded to go off on me for about twenty minutes.

Of course, this doesn't color her reporting.

Another woman at that same party, a freelancer for several major magazines, said "The entire goal of my reporting here is to make sure George W. Bush is not re-elected."

[LoneStarC]

The relatively decent reporting of the "imbedded journalists" is no more! Wonder why the soldiers back from Iraq can't believe the garbage we are getting on TV? Same reason Kerry and Edwards say "we know Bush is lying about Iraq - cause we see on TV..blah-blah-blah!"

[DSBull]

I wish that the military did a better job at promoting themselves. I think that it is time to bring back the embedded reporter. Open it up and see what happens. Military reporters and photogs in addition might work, kinda like ww2 and that. Maybe it is pie in the sky, but for the sake of our guys there, the real story needs to be told..

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Welcome to Free Republic!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

The news that the TV and Cable newsrooms DON'T want us to see! PING

[GeronL]

These reporters are no surprise to us here at FR

[Brad’s Gramma]

Welcome aboard!

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Journalism is simply smart-alec ism. When there was real danger and the journalists were embedded, it was one thing. But when the journalists' own precious hide is not at issue, suddenly they "know" that the soldier doesn't deserve as much respect as the reporter.

[Cold Heat]

The media is going to get a rude awakening. The time draws closer.

[Just Lori]

This is what we're up against. The left helped us lose Vietnam, and they want us to lose this one, too!

[BykrBayb]

I copied this from another page on that blog. There are links, but it would take me forever to do the html. Go to http://www.thetruthaboutiraq.org/commercial.htm for the article with links.

---

Documentation for the :30 "The Truth About Iraq" Advertisement

UNICEF says 5000 Iraqi children a month died under Saddam Hussein
This statistic comes from a Slate article from October 2001. Saddam embezzled billions of dollars meant to go to food for Iraqis and built palaces and imported luxury goods. Some estimates say that Saddam skimmed at least $10 billion from the program. Saddam instead built lavish palaces and monuments:



Polls show 57% of Iraqis say that whatever price they are paying is worth being rid of him
This statistic is from a June 2004 poll conducted by the Iraqi Center for Research and Strategic Studies. You can find excerpts from this poll at the Brookings Institute's Iraq Index website. The Iraq Index has numerous indicators of progress and lack thereof in Iraq, some I would consider valid and some I would consider regurgitating news from the mainstream media. Worth looking at with a critical eye and an open mind in any event. This stat was on page 29 of the October 13 version of the publication. The location may differ in later versions, as the index is updated several times per week.

The real truth is that 72% of Iraqis think that democracy offers the hope of peace and a better life
This is from a poll from the Independent Institute for Administrative and Civil Society Studies, fieldwork conducted December 11 and December 17, 2003. Sample size 1531 in six cities: Baghdad, Basrah, Mosul, Hillah, Diwania and Ramadi. No online reference.

WMDs? Iraqis think Saddam was a weapon of mass destruction
This came up in several of the more than seventy focus groups that I was involved in while in Iraq. Iraqis can't fathom the discussion we are having in the USA and UK about whether Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.

Saddam tortured and killed as many as 750,000 of his own people, as many as a million deaths are attributable to him starving his people and as many as a million and a half people were killed in the Iran/Iraq war, which Saddam started.

Saddam WAS a weapon of mass destruction.

Nobody really knows for sure just how many people Saddam killed because there were no Al-Jazeera reporters standing over his shoulder while he was burying Shi'ia dissidents 10,000 at a time. Here is a pretty good discussion of the various deaths attributable to Saddam. When you start counting them all up, even conservative estimates get well over a million. For perspective, about 70,000 people died in the Hiroshima blast.

This concept was documented by an Iraqi democracy activist I met in Iraq, who wrote it in an op-ed piece that appeared in numerous Baghdad newspapers. See the blog entry on this site on September 29 to read the piece.

Choose which version of the commercial to view:

Quicktime http://www.thetruthaboutiraq.org/truthiraq30.mov

Windows Media Player http://www.thetruthaboutiraq.org/truthiraq30.wmv

[26lemoncharlie]

Truer words have never been spoken.

[Thumbellina]

They don't care that this kind of coverage is hurting the morale of are troops. They don't care that our troops hate the media because of their unfair reporting. I know this to be a fact. I'm, a military wife. I get the inside scoops from friends who are there and are SO upset with the media coverage. THey dare not cover the wonderful things that are happening there. They do support our president and are terrified of John Kerry being their commander in chief. THEY ALL gagged at the salute....John Kerry reporting for Duty. We support them by sending things they ask for, such as school supplies (operation shoe box), and many other things they need to help Iraqi children whom by the way love them. DO you hear this stuff in the media?

[MJY1288]

Their Bias is not limited to Iraq, everything they report these days has a political overtone. Just look at how the MSM reports an accident that involving an SUV? They literally blame the SUV for the accident.

Look at how they conveniently leave out the "D" next to a politicians name when reporting on illegal activity by an elected official and how quick they are to say "Republican" when one is up on charges.

When a democrat is charged with a crime, it's described by the MSM as an organized attempt by republicans to smear that democrat. But when a Republican is charged with a crime it's described by the MSM as an abuse of power! .....GO FIGURE

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!!

[Bahbah]

Interesting post. Thanks.

[Boazo]

[M Kehoe]

Welcome to FR.

Another woman at that same party, a freelancer for several major magazines, said "The entire goal of my reporting here is to make sure George W. Bush is not re-elected."

These reporters are the norm, not the exception. On another note, I hope the drink and food were worth it.

5.56mm

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[blackie]

Roger that ~ Bump!

[blackie]

You've nailed it LoneStar ~ welcome Free Republic!