Posted on 12/10/2004 10:13:12 PM PST by kattracks
Edited on 12/10/2004 10:21:30 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
WITH each passing day, the role of the media in Iraq becomes more confusing and much more controversial.The latest example: the "question" asked of Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during his "town hall" meeting this week with U.S. soldiers in Kuwait.
[snip]
What does the question have to do with the media and its ever growing controversial role in Iraq? A reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press fed the question to the soldier so he could set up Donald Rumsfeld.
While there is no doubt our soldiers need more armor and protection, the question remains: Is it right or ethical for a member of the media to spoon-feed a question to a soldier and manufacture a news story that he and others would then cover?
Which begs a larger question: At what point does irresponsible and sensationalist reporting become dangerous, or even acts of betrayal?
[snip]
Political correctness dictates that we do not speak about this, but I have yet to talk with a member of our military who does not strongly believe that the Abu Ghraib prison scandal wasn't blown out of all proportion. Worse, they feel that the ensuing media feeding frenzy had a direct result in fueling the insurgents attacking our troops and innocent civilians in Iraq.
[snip]
Is such conduct by the media an act of betrayal? Again, a question the press, the Pentagon, the administration and even the American people must ask themselves.
[snip]
Since the beginning of this war, some have used "freedom of the press" as an instrument to systematically denigrate the military while purposely ignoring hundreds of success stories that would shed a positive light on our troops, their mission and our nation. Now, they are planting questions.
Enough is enough.
thanks for the article. The NYPost has been steady and I think we should reward them in some way. Maybe FR could put a full page ad in their newspaper, telling them we appreciate their OpEds and willingness to stand up to the pclibs.
Without military protection, Iraq is far too dangerous a place for these ingrate reporters.
Create a military press corps as in WWII - or make 'em wear uniforms like Ernie Pyle did - and let the rest of these seditious bastards go to hell.
And the name of this brainiac, formerly of the press?
Strange, how in their zeal to advance the agenda of a tiny personality, they manage to self-destruct every time.
What happened to what? where? when? how? and why?
"I Think" or "I feel" have no role in this process. Nor does political advocacy or propaganda.
The fifth column, err, I mean the 1st amendment is alive and well (subconsious slip).
Thanks for your stable take on this disgraceful ongoing activity by our own members of the press. Because some pop-off member of our armed forces was put up to mouthing prepared questions indicting and potentially embarrassing our administration it was deemed as some kind of wonderful utterance by our poor endangered(and mistreated) brave troops. Now revealed as a total sham,where are all those "double-dog dare ya" types now?
What was a mistake was for Rumsfeld to invite a bunch of cameras to that "town meeting" with the troops.
The troops deserve an opportunity to speak honestly with the Secretary of Defense, without interference from CNN or CBS News.
Presumptuous, arrogant conceit by people aiming to be "change agents" rather than honest reporters of facts. Sad. The good news, though, is that enough Americans remember the vileness of these bastards in that other war, and their dishonesty isn't as easy to sell - except to the nut left.
Heck, Bill Mauldin was in the 45th Division. Bill's cartoons in Stars and Stripes were viewed as a little bit seditious by some of the brass. But they were among the best 'literary works' to come out of World War 2.
Enough is enough!
By and large the MSM sucks.
And there you have it!
Being on the Senate Armed Forces Committee, she has access to information about the Military's weakness. Easy for her to pass this on to her favorite press people who will feed it out along appropriate channels.
Any eroding of morale among or toward the military is what she loves best.
MOS 0100 = Office personnel. Remington Raiders. They would fall over themselves volunteering to get out of the office and into a field assignment.
Eject all the civilian embeds and let the 0151's do the reporting. It may not satisfy the liberal freaks and Geraldo wannabes or see-bs, but the reports will shower in wholly lacking in any "Gotcha" agenda. It might also cut the legs out from under the 11 o'clock nightly military bashing.
| It might also cut the legs out from under the 11 o'clock nightly military bashing.
They are already down in the credibility charts with the used-car salesmen. What this article is pointing out is that they're getting real close to having one of their own arrested and tried for aid-and-comfort. I think when that happpens — and it will — the press will be stunned to find out that the public sides with the military. |
I'd rather instigate neutrality as their only means of survival, rather then allow them to check their wallets before deciding what to report next.
And we might not be able to wait until those sizable wallets run dry. so... A little nudging here, a little there... Things gotta change! :-)
Already knowing it hasn't even slowed them down yet. Well, Danny and Peter appear to have gotten the msg. :-)
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I'm not sure we should want that. I'm convinced that the public is on to the media, and that all the reporters are doing with this "gotcha" stuff is alienating more viewers and more readers.