Thelack of basic military knowledge evident on Fox--and the other networks--is endemic throughout the media, and there's a simple reason for it. This war is being covered by a lot of reporters who have absolutely no military expertise or experience. Before 9/11, press interest in military matters and national security was at an all-time low; fewer than 50 reporters were assigned to the Pentagon full-time. That number has increased since then, but there are lots of reporters in the field who don't know a BMP from an LAV. This morning, I heard one anchor on CNN identify a Sea Stallion helo as a twin-rotor Chinook.
And don't forget: many of these anchors (paging Paula Zahn) rely on their producers to feed them information through their earpiece during live coverage. Predictably, most of these producers don't have a clue, either, and it shows.
Don't get me wrong: reporters can learn military principles, tactics, and terminology with a little experience. But the battlefield is no place to start. I'm still waiting for one of the news guys/gals to get tagged by nerve gas that seeps through their skin. For some reason, most believe that the mask is all they need to protect them. Once again, a clear lack of experience and an apparent refusal to follow the training they received before being embedded.
In fairness, some of the reporters are doing a good job. Greg Kelley of Fox has been great reporting on the 3rd ID, and Scott Pelley of CBS has been solid with the Marines around Umm Qasur, and Ollie North has been great with Marine aviation. The rest range from mediocre to terrible, to include the crew from Sky News. Murdoch needs to have a little house-cleaning over there, after the war ends.
Amen, brother. You nailed it on the head...these reporters have never served, never thought about serving, and never gave the military any consideration until the enemy was at the proverbial gate. I just wish Ollie North, Col. David Hunt, and some of the other retired officers would start correcting the little pampered princesses and princes instead of letting them get away with it. I have finally gotten so sick of Fox I switched the channel to the NCAA tourney. My 'Cats are playing tonight, anyway. Be good, FRiend.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!