Blaming the Messenger (Kevin Sites Apologist Alert)

North County Times ^ | 11/20/04 | DARRIN MORTENSON

[azhenfud]

That's exactly what some have been saying. The reporter set the Marines up by keeping his "secret", something reporters aren't well known of.

[NY Attitude]

IMHO. There is really a question of loyalty here. Something along the lines of the Mike Wallace/Peter Jennings interview. He used the Marine for his own agenda and has gotten caught. He should be made as an example to other embedded reporters.

[azhenfud]

Yes. True to form, the reporter spilled his "secret" and it's caught up on him. That's why he's quiet now...

[bboop]

Sites IS one of the rats. He has an anti-war photo page on line. Has been in Kosovo and etc. I think he is building his photo-resume/ looking for a Pulitzer a la that photog in Vietnam who took that pix of the person/ child? on fire.... I am glad they are shunning him. I bet they want to do a lot worse. It is not the worst punishment. I mean, they could put panties on his head if they really wanted to. He is getting the just desserts for his actions.

[bism]

Screw the MSM. Boycott them!

[jackbill]

Ollie North's take on the shooting and the "pool reporting" is at:

http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20041120-084028-9568r.htm

[Ginifer]

Kevin Sites video has put our troops in more harm and his MSM friends want us to feel sorry for him? They are sorry alright...sorry that the American public has caught them in their bias and distorted reporting.

[azhenfud]

No, we need to hold them accountable.

Only you can help stop them from Rathering reports.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Geraldo said on his show last night that had he been the imbed on the scene he would have turned the tape over to justice and not used it to give leverage to the Arab world to further denegrate the USA... He said first and foremost (unlike other MSM) he WANTS the US to win the war and not contribute to misconceptions that could lead to problems in that area.

[Petes Sandy Girl]

"According to reports from the field, Sites was last seen at the base camp near Fallujah eating alone in the chow hall, shunned by the Marines around him."

Blanket party anyone?

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The reporter set the Marines up by keeping his "secret", something reporters aren't well known of.

Oh, I dunno - reporters knew perfectly well that it was the White House rather than Ken Starr who was leaking the embarassing information about x42. The reporters managed to report the WH accusations that Starr was the leaker without betraying their knowledge to the contrary.

Reporters can keep a secret - just not when that secret will embarass a conservative.

[OldFriend]

On the contrary, Sites has the support of all america haters the world over. That includes our own leftist media and most of the liberal demonrats right here in the USA.

No doubt letters of support are pouring into his email and he's their hero.

[jwpjr]

It helps to understand the thinking of the photographer/videographer on a story. They give little thought to what will happen with their pictures after they're filed. Their thought process stops with their editor being happy with their work and it's on to the next story. Truth is, the tape of a Marine shooting an enemy combatant would be pretty heady stuff for any photographer, video or still. I have know a lot of both still and video shooters who cover breaking news and they are thinking of one thing, how can they get a shot/segment that is out of the ordinary or tells the story of this news event very well. I am not trying to be an apologist for this particular reporter, just to offer some insight into how different the world of covering breaking/spot news is from the way most people think it would be.

[jimbo123]

Sites withheld critical information from the second Marine squad. Sites could have saved those wounded Iraqis in the mosque if he wanted to. Instead, he decided let them be killed so he could get it on video. Their blood is on Sites' hands.

[Ramonan]

The North County Times is a Liberal, Socialist advocating newspaper.
You would think that since they are based in Oceanside, California, where the Main Gate of Camp Pendleton is, that they would support the Marines. NOt so!Any idiotic letter that comes in with one of the Liberal Chanting Points gets published.
I cancelled my subscription about 2 years ago.

[Beckwith]

"Kevin's the loneliest man in the world right now." Who's fault is that?

[Ole Okie]

IOW, he had no visions of sugar-plum fairy Pulitzer Prizes?

I don't believe it for a second.

[Syncro]

WWII

All reporters did some training with the troops and wore uniforms.

And ALL of their material went through Military Intelligence so nothing would get through to disrupt the missions.

What with the much more traitorous nature of the MSM these days they should be used in the same manner.

[NY Attitude]

You are absolutely correct. The MSM should understand that their current agendas to undermine our troops is counterproductive to the war effort and should be viewed as traitorous behavior as well as being dealt with accordingly

[jwpjr]

No, I think in this case you're exactly right. I should have made it clearer that I was defending the thousands of photojournalists who take the tens of thousands of photos you see on AP and other wire services. Not every shooter is like this guy. It would amaze the average newspaper reader to know how much effort goes into selecting the photos they see published. Contrary to popular belief, other than a few papers they do not go for the gory or the sensational picture for the front page above the fold. I've seen them pass on really great photos because it had a sheet covered body showing, or there was blood on a car or sidewalk. We had a shooter that was doing a Little League baseball game when a fire broke out in an apartment complex next door to the field. He was there before the first fire equipment and had some really good shots of the firefighters going in and bringing out the elderly occupant of the apartment where the fire started. We got the photos about 8 PM and could have done a truly fantastic photo package, but there was a question as to whether the lady who was rescued would live through the night. They passed on the pictures rather than have her family see her in the paper that morning, knowing she had died overnight. Nope, this guy was wrong, but I think his editors share a lot of the blame. For the most part you offer up what art you have for a story and the editorial staff takes it from there.