Stung by Ingraham, NBC Claims Its Iraq Coverage. . . Not Negative Enough!

Today Show/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

by Mark Finkelstein

March 22, 2006

Laura Ingraham clearly hit an MSM sore spot with the charges she levelled during her appearance on yesterday's Today show, in which she locked horns with David Gregory and James Carville. Read Laura in the Lions Den.

Ingraham accused most American media of covering Iraq from their balconies in the Green Zone, confining their reports largely to IEDs and killings and missing the more positive stories that abound across the country.

This morning, a clearly stung NBC asked itself whether it is doing a good job reporting on Iraq, and - surprise! - the Peacock Network assured itself and us that indeed it is. If anything, Today told us, the situation in Iraq is even worse than the MSM portray it.

Ingraham's gutsy appearance took on national momentum. Laura discussed it at length during her own syndicated radio show. Rush Limbaugh picked it up, and Ingraham made evening appearances on the O'Reilly Factor and Hannity & Colmes. At one point, Ingraham mentioned that it was her viewing yesterday of a report by NBC's Richard Engel, from the proverbial Green Zone balcony, that sparked some of her sentiment.

NBC fired back this morning, and featured the very same Engel in doing so.

Hosting the segment was Gregory, sitting in for Matt Lauer. He kicked things off asking "is the U.S. media focusing too much on the negative and ignoring the positive stories in Iraq?" Gregory then threw it to Engel in Baghdad, who began by alleging that there are "a lot of myths and misperceptions about what reporters are doing and are not doing here in Iraq."

Engel then narrated a montage showing that at various times, he and his crew have accompanied US troops, put on flack jackets and ventured outside the Green Zone, and exposed themselves to a variety of violent situations. We saw dramatic footage of Engel flat on the ground as bullets whizzed around. The point was made that even staying in the office can be dangerous, as the NBC News Bureau has twice been bombed. Engel also mentioned the danger of kidnapping, with 40 reporters having been taken hostage so far.

While making the case that Baghdad is a dangerous place and that the people covering display bravery, in many ways Engel failed to confront Ingraham's most fundamental charges. She had challenged NBC to apply some of the massive resources it devoted to the Olympics, or even to answering "Where in the World is Matt Lauer?", to its Iraq coverage. Ingraham suggested that the media get off their perches and out into the field. Speak with the Iraqi military, meet with villagers and children. Ingraham predicted that the resulting stories would paint a picture of Iraq more positive than the gloom and doom seen in the glare of the latest IED explosion that is the typical MSM fare.

There was nothing in Engel's report to indicate that NBC had ventured much if at all outside Baghdad or made any systematic effort to speak with the Iraqi military, or with Iraqi people-in-the street or with villagers in the many peaceful areas of the country.

Indeed, Engel's report confirmed Ingraham's allegation that the MSM portray Iraq in a consistently negative light. At one point, Engel asserted that "reporting on everyday life is increasingly dangerous because life here is getting more dangerous." And incredibly, Engel closed by claiming that, if anything, NBC's coverage was . . . not negative enough.

When Gregory asked "is security the overall story?" Engel replied:

"Most Iraqis I speak to say most reporters get it wrong. The situation on the ground is worse than the images we project on television."

[Mo1]

He said it because it is possible the job won't be done till another Administration comes in

Plus he was sending a message that Americans won't cut and run like some want us to ... including the terrorists

[skr]

I can't help but elicit a lady-like snicker at the absurdity of a reoccurring segment titled 'Where in the World is Matt Lauer?'. Why should we care, as long as he is where he is voluntarily?

[chimera]

I'd like to believe what you say is the case, but I have my doubts. I am often more surprised by what people I talk to don't know than what they do know. Just the other week I was talking with some supposedly-educated people at my church and they were making comments like, well, they didn't think it was so important what a presidential candidate thought about abortion, since that was an issue that was decided by the Supreme Court. I then asked one of them what the process was whereby justices serving on the Supreme Court are selected. One of them said, "well, they are nominated by the President, and then the Senate...", and suddenly there was this pause, and a deer-in-the-headlights look, then a little mumbling and spluttering, and finally a reluctant, "well, I see your point...". Like I said, I am often amazed at how little people really know, or think things through.

[stayathomemom]

I too talked to a reservist who was over there helping with the building of schools. They were told that Dan Rather and his cohorts would be by to do a story on what they were doing. The kids were very excited for the visit. Well Dan arrived in his usual garb and got off his vehicle. All of a sudden his people started getting excited about something and packed up and left. It turns out there had been a road side bombing up the road and they decided to cover that instead. They left behind a lot of disappointed kids and probably not surprised military personnel.

[McBuff]

That's a lame, tired, excuse for the conduct in which the MSM is engaged. Of course, it is always true that the sexier story will get to the top. . .but that is not the WHOLE truth defining the media's behavior in Irag.

The bigger truth is that the media is engaged in wholesale TREASON pure and simple. It is not just the media focusing on certain events and excluding others. . .it is the media asserting things that are simply not true. . .i.e. the civil war ruse.

[driftless]

My unofficial, unscientific personal research has concluded that NBC is absolutely the worst of the lot in always trying to depict conservatives and the Bush admin in the worst possible light. Maybe they're not that much worse than the other network lib propaganda organs, but I get their "news" summaries on my web tv browser, and a casual study of their headlines shows them to be unashamedly anti-war and anti-Bush. They've got a lot of David Gregory clones working for them.

[roses of sharon]

That certainly is a copout, and the MSM knows it, they are spinning a political campaign against our military and CIC.

Their efforts are renown in seeking out "human interest" stories for context, especially when a Republican/Conservative is proposing legislation on crime, welfare, immigration, taxes, SS, Medicare, abortion, affirmative action, and many more.

For liberals who claim to be sophisticated, nuanced, and never thinking in black and while, the MSM "Campaign to lose Iraq" in America is obviously hypocritical.

[driftless]

"Russert"

Russert's "observation" about troop losses is a typical irrelevant lib observation. Like the so-called esteem we are supposedly losing around the world because of the war. What if some "experts" before WWII had underestimated the amount of troop deaths we experienced (three to four hundred thousand) during the war? Would that have made the war any less worth fighting for? It's a stupid observation on Russert's part.

The key question is should we be fighting the war or not...not the number of troop losses experts predicted. In almost the same amount of time as it took to win WWII, we've lost over two thousand soldiers...about one hundredth of we lost during WWII. As a strong supporter of our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, I can truly say that no one on this forum wants to see dead American troops. But the question is will preventive efforts now forestall bigger tragedies down the road i.e. pay me now, or pay me a lot more later. My answer is yes.

[subterfuge]

That little girlie-man Engel was on yesterday morning, yesterday evening and then again this morning. Is this homosexual sweeps week or something?

[LZ_Bayonet]

"He said it because it is possible the job won't be done till another Administration comes in

Plus he was sending a message that Americans won't cut and run like some want us to ... including the terrorists"

This is being spun negatively by the MSM, and I'm sure the Administration expected that, BUT it was worth it because it sent a veiled but STRONG message to the enemy (i.e AQ et al, Democrats, and MSM) that Bush will not be withdrawing.

AND as important, it sent the message that if a DEM should win the Presidency, that DEM will have to make a call on it. So the prime question for any Presidential candidate, and most damaging to the Dems (because of the Dem base) becomes: "President Bush says that a President AFTER him will be dealing with the question of whether and how a US presence should be maintained in Iraq. How will you, should you be elected President deal with this?" Sorta of a 403-3 type voting scenario, but the voters are the Presidential candidates.

[Al Gator]

"Thank you for your kind and well thought out response. So 61 journalists killed since the invasion took place means they are reporting from their balconies? I can't find a figure on those injured."

Joe, its obvious you have a dog in this fight. So I'll ask you. I see lots of MSM reporters pointing out how many "journalists" were killed so far.

My question, how many of those killed were MSM journalists? I think only very, very few. My gut instinct is that the ones who were killed were the ones who are reporting the true story that the MSM ignores or simply spikes. The ones who were not afraid to get "dirty". The ones who didn't wait for the 5 O'Clock follies.

And I think the MSM runs and hides behind that number in a cynical attempt to take credit where none is due.

[CedarDave]

This will be the last news from Iraq, my soldier is home!

Misty-eyed here. I'm so glad she's home safe.

[Chances Are]

It's a nice, round big number. Sounds impressive, especially when uttered with a voice carrying the weight of "authoity". Plus, it's not too difficult a number to conjure in one's mind, does not require any thought, and most importantly, it is not too taxing intellectually, an issue of vital importance to these spouting cretins possessed of room temperature IQ.

CA....

[One4Indictment]

Wow, I'm almost as proud of your daughter as you are. God Bless her and may she return home safely...And please thank her for me for her service to our Great Nation...She is a GREAT AMERICAN.

[Chances Are]

You say you want a full picture? Thre isn't time in the day to do that. Even the administration doesn't have a full picture. It's too fluid.

Sure sounds like you do, tho, Joe!

CA....

[sam_paine]

.they can't be all torturing and murdering innocent women and children can they?

That just gave me a sKerry thought. How many of today's Iraq veterans have turned like Kerry did in Vietnam--or "Cambodia in Christmas?"

So in 2028 we'll have the Iraq version of sKerry running his anti-war, anti-American platform, with his purple-hearts from THIS war.....oh agony.

[CedarDave]

I am certain that this representation of life in Pittsburgh is as accurate as NBC's representation of life in Iraq.

Same here. The only reason I saw a part of this morning's Today show and their attempt at spin is because it followed local news of a sheriff's deputy was shot and killed while making a traffic stop a couple of miles from my house.

The NBC show was amazing in that the reporter said the insurgents/terrorists are very much in tune with how their actions are viewed in the US. Having just said that, he followed with "security is the story here", essentially letting them know their propaganda campaign is working, much to the disgust, no doubt, of the locals who pay the price with even more death and destruction.

[ElPatriota]

Is it just me?

Just thinking to myself, it's obvious who is the most beautiful of the two (lol), but who is sissiest of the two? ... you know what I mean?... As beautiful as Laura is, she has more ba--s than boy Gregory, in my opinion :)

[Shqipo]

>>...does not require any thought,<<<
--That's the MSM for you. Hyperbole 'R Us.

[Beckwith]

NBC's role is to criticize, not be criticized.

Their's is to judge, not be judged.

You need to understand the liberal intelligentsia's mindset.