Posted on 03/17/2006 4:56:26 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
March 17, 2006
When does healthy reportorial reserve cross the line into cynicism? Today's coverage this morning of Operation Swarmer, the counter-insurgency offensive in the Samarra region of Iraq, illustrated the issue.
NBC's skepticism was as clear as the legend that appeared on-screen throughout the segment: "Were Iraqi Targets Hit?" Surely it is appropriate to ask and try to answer how effective a military operation has been. But in openly wondering whether any targets were hit, Today perhaps comes close to labelling the operation a sham.
Questions about NBC's motives were only heightened when immediately following the Samarra segment, Today ran a piece, narrated by White House antagonist-in-chief David Gregory, which posed the question: "Politics of War: Can Bush Overcome Iraq?"
Gregory asserted that "the White House is certainly looking for a way to end the president's second-term slide." He then added: "when a president has an unpopular war, until people feel better about it, they are not going to listen to him."
So, was NBC's 'subliminable' message here that Swarmer was more of a political operation than a military one, leading Today to ask whether targets were hit at all?
Finkelstein lives in Ithaca, NY. 'Right Angle', the TV show he hosts, was recently named 'Best of the Best' among public-access shows in his area. Contact him at: mark@gunhill.net
Today Show/NewsBusters ping.
Diogenesis' fine thread on that subject...
GOTTA SEE THIS-War for End.Freedom 3/17/06- Baquba, Remagen, Op.Swarmer, Hibhib, Victory base
There's no excuse for ignorance, Katie.
Has David Gregory ever reported as an embed reporter in Iraq??
This told me everything I need to know about the Today show.
Wow! Great link, thanks for posting.
I did not know you were doing a tv show. That is great news. And a Happy St. Patrick's Day to you and to all FReepers.
Top 'o the Morning to You! I've been hosting "Right Angle" for over five years, and am happy to say that just last month our show was named 'Best of the Best' among all public-access shows in our area, meaning that we'll go on to represent our area in the national public-access competition.
classic.
save
Well, I'll be darned. What is the competition like and who gets to vote?
IMO, and from what I heard General Meyers say, this was not meant to "hit" anything and not meant to be strictly a shooting combat operation. It was designed to include Iraqi troops in a rapid deployement operation. This one was also designed to round up a known cadre of terrorists revealed by intelligence.
Well, I don't know a whole lot about it. Tapes of the winning shows from all around the country are submitted to some kind of national judging panel, and awards are handed out in a variety of categories. I believe last year's awards show was in Boston, not sure about this year's. Locally, entries were judged by an independent panel comprised of the producers of award-winning shows from previous years.
Just so long as it's not the Harvard faculty doing the judging :)
LOL! Actually, given that I live in a very liberal haven, I've been very pleasantly surprised by our local judging panel. This is the second time our show has won best in its category - first time it also won Best of the Best.
This told me everything I need to know about the Today show.
That, and an unsettling creepiness factor of plus 10:
SCRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!
Great, just absolutely great, GLGB.
Congratulations and you are to be commended.
Chuck
Many thanks, Chuck. A local ISP has offered to host a webcast of 'Right Angle.' Hopefully soon, all interested FReepers will be able to watch.
Our show airs every Thursday night, and my guests last night were a panel of local college Republicans, including one on active duty with the Air National Guard. I entitled last night's show "We Love Russ!" - a reference to Feingold and the way his censure proposal, coming in the wake of the ports deal, has reminded people that indeed the Dems are the weak-on-national-security party.
Given that the only way we are going to bring our troops home is if the Iraqi army can do the job inself, it seems this is a valuable exercise even if the target turns out to be relatively minor. They have already seized a fair quantity of explosives. As a joint exercise, this beats a war game.
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