Media's coverage has distorted world's view of Iraqi reality

World Tribune ^ | 18 January 05 | By LTC Tim Ryan

[LSUfan]

Editors' Note: LTC Tim Ryan is Commander, Task Force 2-12 Cavalry, First Cavalry Division in Iraq. He led troops into battle in Fallujah late last year and is now involved in security operations for the upcoming elections. He wrote the following during "down time" after the Fallujah operation. His views are his own.

All right, I've had enough. I am tired of reading distorted and grossly exaggerated stories from major news organizations about the "failures" in the war in Iraq. "The most trusted name in news" and a long list of others continue to misrepresent the scale of events in Iraq. Print and video journalists are covering only a fraction of the events in Iraq and, more often than not, the events they cover are only negative.

The inaccurate picture they paint has distorted the world view of the daily realities in Iraq. The result is a further erosion of international support for the United States' efforts there, and a strengthening of the insurgents' resolve and recruiting efforts while weakening our own. Through their incomplete, uninformed and unbalanced reporting, many members of the media covering the war in Iraq are aiding and abetting the enemy.

[Brian328i]

All I can say is "Ouch"

Poor guy will not even get credit and the media will just ignore him and the truth.

[seacapn]

It's tough to paint a very positive picture of Iraq when 20 people per day are getting killed in political violence, on top of a high rate of regular old murder from the thugs and kidnappers. Once lawfulness is restored, and once westerners can walk the streets of Baghdad without fear of being instantly killed or kidnapped, I think public perceptions will follow.

[Southack]

Here's a little perspective on what our fine LTC is saying:

Our news media gleefully reports every bomb and shot fired by the tiny Iraqi insurgency. On average, this entails 46 attacks per day by insurgents that kill, in sum, 1 or 2 Americans and 12 to 20 Iraqis. This is down from 98 attacks per day by the insurgency last year.

In contrast, our news media portrays Rio de Janiero as a calm, peaceful, beach paradise even though each day, on average, 110 adults are shot dead there.

[Southack]

c#4

[polymuser]

"The result is a further erosion of international support for the United States' efforts there, and a strengthening of the insurgents' resolve and recruiting efforts while weakening our own. Through their incomplete, uninformed and unbalanced reporting, many members of the media covering the war in Iraq are aiding and abetting the enemy."

Gee, isn't there a T word for that?

[Temple Owl]

Is this really true?

[seacapn]

I think the difference is that Rio is mostly an example of killers killing other killers in gangfights. Iraq's violence is blatantly political, which is more dangerous due to the people being targeted - professors, doctors, leaders, police authorities, etc. Not the best thing for a civil society on the mend.

[PISANO]

Do you believe you can walk the STREETS everywhere in America, with NO worries about being murdered or kidnapped? I don't!

The problem is one of perspective. Is Iraq a 'dangerous' place. IN SOME AREAS yes, in others NO. Reporting on and about those areas that ARE with no perspective reporting about the good things going on in those areas that are relatively SAFE is what makes the MSM reporting worthless and BIASED.

The MSM is doing a disservice to our MILITARY, our COUNTRY and the people they supposedly serve!

[dead]

once westerners can walk the streets of Baghdad without fear of being instantly killed or kidnapped

You can’t do that in Johannesburg, Bogota, Manilla, or Camden.

Why should the standard be higher for Baghdad?

[Southack]

From Clare Davidson in São Paulo, Brazil
"BRAZIL’S reputation for violence is infamous. Last year alone there were over over 40,000 gun-related deaths in Latin America’s largest country, averaging 110 Brazilians every day. And this is for a country in peace time."

http://www.sundayherald.com/36875

[seacapn]

In Iraq, due to the presence of bounties, there is really nowhere a westerner can walk unescorted or unarmed. That creates the whole lazy journalism syndrome where they borrow reports from al-Arabiyah or others instead of reporting themselves.

This is a media-driven age, though. Even if the entire MSM vanished, due to the internet, the stream of news out of Iraq would probably be about the same.

[Southack]

"I think the difference is that Rio is mostly an example of killers killing other killers in gangfights. Iraq's violence is blatantly political..."

Iraq's violence is sad, but trivial. Iraq is losing roughly 20 people per day.

On the other hand, Brazil is losing 110 adults every day to gun fights. More still are killed in Rio's regular bombings. Yet more still are knifed to death, beaten to death, drowned, and poisoned.

YET THE PRESS CALLS RIO PEACEFUL while claiming that Iraq's 20 daily deaths mean that war-torn Baghdad is in utter "chaos."

[seacapn]

Oh, Bogota's not too bad. They've got real cheap beer!

[dead]

So does Camden, but I ain't going there to get it! 8)

[seacapn]

The thing is, Brazil has 180 million people, and Iraq has 24 million. If you scale up the proportions, that would be the same as Brazil having 150 murders per day.

I'm not trying to be a naysayer, or claiming that Iraq is all bad. I just think that Iraq will take a long time to sort out, and that even though I hope there is a sharp 'turning point,' it'll probably be more like a long freeway on-ramp.

[oust the louse]

Is it Tupidity or Treason? I bet you mean Treason....great article. I'm e-mailing this to the masses.

[okie01]

In reality, such flawed reporting serves only to misshape world opinion and bolster the enemy's position.

Regretably, LTC Ryan is probably incorrect in referring to such reporting as "flawed". More likely, AP, BBC, CNN, ABC/CBS/NBC, the Times, Post, et al are actually intent on their chosen mission to "misshape world opinion and bolster the enemy's position".

There are three enemies of freedom afoot in the world today. They are:

1. Islamic terrorists

2. Liberal socialism

3. The so-called Mainstream Media

And, of the three, the MSM might be the most pernicious. Destroy it -- and you weaken the other two. Destroy either of the other two, and the MSM is still there to prop the survivor up.

[okie01]

LTC Ryan's rant is worth reading. He seems to have done his homework, unlike the media he is taking to task.

[Pajamajan]

"Unfortunately , this sort of incomplete reporting has become the norm for the media, whose poor job of presenting a complete picture of what is going on in Iraq borders on being criminal"
"So what are the credentials of these self proclaimed experts?"
"..have they ever read Mao Zedung's theories on insurgencies, or Nygen Giap's , or maybe Che Gueverra's?"
"Have they seen any of Sun Tzu's work lately?"
"Who are these guys?"
It's time to start studying folks. If a journalist doesn't recognize the names on this list, he or she probably isn't qualified to asses the state of this or any other campaigns progress."

Excellent article. This is an absolute MUST READ. Every "journalist" should be given a copy . Blimp Ted Kennedy should be forced to read it word for word to his "colleagues" in the 'RAT party.

The author brings home just how much damage the media, and I add the democRAT party, have done to the war effort. There should be a "Blood Pressure Spike" alert with this too. Grrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!!!!!!!!!! It will make you angry .