Average Americans Frustrated with American Press

Foxnew.com ^ | 10/31/01 | Catherine Donaldson-Evans

[DM1]

NUTLEY, N.J. — Every day, they gather at the Pentagon and clamor to ask questions about the war on terror.

They demand details about military strategy, civilian casualties and locations of troops and targets. Their inquiries are laced with skepticism over how the government is handling the war.

But that cynicism has made some average Americans angry. "I guess they've forgotten the events of Sept. 11, when thousands of civilians here died for no apparent reason," Sam Marino, 25, a bartender at the Franklin Steak House and Tavern in Nutley, N.J., says of the Pentagon press corps.

With America's war on terror approaching its third month, the tone in media reports is increasingly bleak. Why haven't we won the war already, they ask. Why are civilians dying, they want to know. Where is Usama Bin Laden, they demand to know.

he questions aren't going over well with out-of-the-beltway Americans, nearly 80 percent of whom tell pollsters they approve of the war's progress. "The pundits sitting on their fat backsides in Washington — I really have a problem with them," fumed World War II Navy veteran Jim Goran of Bloomfield, N.J. "I would jail them, that's how angry I am." Goran takes issue with most of the questions posed by the press corps, calling them "insensitive, unpatriotic and devoid of any intelligence."

At Wednesday's Pentagon briefing, reporters asked Defense Department spokesman Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem to provide more details about the recent, heavier bombing in Afghanistan and targets that were struck a day earlier. "Admiral, what's the rationale for not saying where the B-52s hit Tuesday?" one journalist asked. "We're getting reports from eyewitnesses they hit; the bad guys know where you hit. What's the big secret?" Stufflebeem responded — as he did several times during the news conference — that he wouldn't go into specifics. "It's one thing to have seen one fly overhead if you're on the ground," he said. "It's another thing to broadcast an intention of a type of target or tactic and a specific weapons system that is optimized against that."

Many Franklin Steak House patrons said the press and the public don't need the scoop on each move the military makes in the war. "We don't need to know everything. They can't tell us everything," said Jamie Deberto, 34, a Web designer from Bloomfield. "It's frustrating — they know they shouldn't be asking some of these questions." She and others think revealing all troop strategies and movements spells defeat. "That reporting is doing the intelligence gathering for our enemy," said communications systems engineer John Gadoury, 54, of Bradford, N.H. "Our news system shouldn't be in that business."

The Washington press corps has pummeled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other Bush administration officials with questions about Afghan civilian casualty numbers — and mused at the ethics of bombing during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. But many here don't share the media's concern with those issues. "The press has been almost obsessed with whether the campaign is going to end before Ramadan and how many civilian casualties the Taliban are suffering," said lawyer and state legislator Kevin O'Toole, 37, of Cedar Grove, N.J. "But the people of the United States believe those things are not relevant during times of war. Is bin Laden going to take a break on Christmas?" He expressed frustration at the media's apparent impatience with how long the war is taking, and said that's not in line with what the average American feels. "They're doing a disservice to the American people, the presidency and national security by trying to make this a 24-hour war," O'Toole said. "The American people are very patient with this military action."

Not all Franklin patrons believe the press has been off-base, however. "We should definitely know all the moves," said Greg Lampariello, 31, head chef at Terrazza, another steak house in Nutley. "They should keep pressuring [the government] to tell us what's going on. They're our lifeline to the other side."

But that opinion wasn't shared by the majority of patrons. Most said they wished the D.C. press corps would report the news without cynicism and join with other Americans in rallying around the cause. "I think they've lost the morale," said Jennifer Hartos, 23, a medical assistant from Bloomfield. "They've lost a sense of American pride."

[DM1]

This is an interesting article, points out a lot of truths I have seen about the war coverage.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Overall, the Washington press corps is a disgrace.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Their coverage of Kosovo was gun-ho to the max. Public bridges blown up during prime time traffic. A radio station blown up. All manner of high-civilian areas hit. Based on a myth of 'ethnic cleansing'. And the result was the massacre of thousands of Christians, the burning of probably every Christian church in that area, and the Serbs' evacuation of their holy land. But the media was 'behind him'. To this day, many Americans don't have a clue about Kosovo.

Contrary to what Rush says, it's a question of which party benefits from the triumph or benefits from the failure.

[abclily]

I don't understand why the teleprompt readers are allowed to use our airwaves to broadcast anti-American sentiment during war time.

[DM1]

I agree, I still am amazed by the audacity some of these guys have.

[TomGuy]

The media is so poll conscious, wonder why they don't conduct a poll asking:
Do you think the media are basically idiots?

Oh, ok...they already know the answer....and it ain't flattering.

[livius]

"Teleprompt readers"...great way of describing these overpaid and over-esteemed nobodies. The only thing that mystifies me is why anybody thinks that folks like Peter Jennings and Dan Rather have even the slightest clue about anything.

[Quilla]

Exactly! And some of the teleprompter writers should be considered traitors. The alphabet networks are unable to grasp the concept of 'united' and their imposed views are indelibly stamped upon the sheeple.

[m1911]

"Admiral, what's the rationale for not saying where the B-52s hit Tuesday?" one journalist asked. "We're getting reports from eyewitnesses they hit; the bad guys know where you hit. What's the big secret?"

Sounds like the press already knows everything about Tuesdays bombing runs. Why are they asking?

OH! By bad guys he probably meant the Taliban, not the press. My mistake!

[Alas]

ABC's petey jennings refused to even acknowledge that there was a world series going on, he never once mentioned it or the standing ovation the President got.

jennings and the rest of the main stream medias 'legends in their own minds' are not only sick, they have become disgusting lackies for bin laden and every other enemy of these United States, jennings should be deported! Or better yet tried for and then shot for intentional acts treason.

Nukem

[copycat]

The press is free to ask these questions, and our military is free to say no comment.

The questions, however, in this case, reveal much more about the mindset of the reporters than they do about the war.

[DreamWeaver]

Goran takes issue with most of the questions posed by the press corps, calling them "insensitive, unpatriotic and devoid of any intelligence."

Insesitive, unpatriotic, and devoid of any intellingence, MY sentiments exactly ! In fact I find I can no longer watch the briefings from getting so upset with the press. Rumsfeld and Ari Fleisher have the patience of a Saint.

[DM1]

i agree completely!

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Not long ago in New York City, Hillary Clinton was booed off the stage in Madison Square Garden by assembled firemen and police who answered the call when the World Trade Center was attacked. I bring this up because Peter Jennings said last night that George W. Bush might get booed when he threw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium, and remarked something to the effect but not word-for-word that this would signal a return to normalcy, since the president had said he wasn't for the Yankees winning.

		Well, the time for that first pitch came, and not only was it literally a strike, but there was an outpouring of love, support, and adoration the likes of which no one has ever seen. Did you see Bush last night? First pitch, that's a perfect strike. The catcher was stunned! That never happens on ceremonial pitches. "Well how do you know, Rush?" Ah, in this, my friends, I am indeed an expert. I used to be director of ceremonial first pitches for the Kansas City Royals, and I'm told that the ceremonial first pitch at Royals Stadium has never been the same since I left in 1983. I know about these things. The players expect the ceremonial pitcher to throw the ball up in the dirt or over their head or bounce the ball 15 to 20 times. But W threw a perfect strike - and there was nothing but love and adulation. Was there a boo or two? Perhaps, but Peter Jennings predicted he might get booed off the mound. It didn't happen. Now, should I assume this same crowd that filled Yankee Stadium was all these crazed right-wing radio types that Hillary's people were talking about in MSG that night?

		I know that firemen, such as Mike Moran who lost his brother, called me to tell me they listen to my show. I know that one of the firemen in Oklahoma City, of which that famous picture was taken (and later violated to smear "talk radio") also listened to this show. So I am confident in saying that I think a lot more firemen and cops listen to programs like this than vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton or her husband. I am confident in saying, too, that Peter Jennings would not have received the kind of ovation Mr. Bush did had he thrown out that first pitch. Remember, this is the Peter Jennings whose comments on President Bush not returning to the White House on September 11th drew such criticism. We replayed that clip for you on Wednesday's show, along with Jennings' comments Tuesday night, and the incredible level of applause that greeted George W. Bush.

		(...play the Sept. 12th clip, boo warning and then audio of Bush's greeting)

[monocle]

NBC delayed and delayed broadcasting Juanita Broadrick's interview giving lack of corroborating evidence as the reason. Yet, the networks without any second thoughts air uncorrobated Taleban reports of civilian deaths, knowing full well that the Taleban are congential liars.

[Alas]

Thank you, but your link isn't working, could you repost it?

Thanks and may the Lord God Yeshua bless and protect, while reviving, our country.

Alas

[Stand Watch Listen]

Related Articles:

The People's Right To Know Versus Our Soldier's Right To Live
Source: toogoodreports.com; Published: October 30, 2001
Author: Col. David H. Hackworth

Press Vs. Military - Justice or the First Amendment
Source: National Review online; Published: October 29, 2001
Author: James S. Robbin

[6ppc]

The Washington press corps has pummeled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

I think Rumsfeld is the one doing the pummeling.

[KC Burke]

Actually, I'm quite delighted with the major networks coverage. Their blatant, leftist, leanings are becoming so apparant that even the uninvolved are outraged. Outrage is enduring. It sits in the stomach and gives acid and bile. The certain knowledge as how the academics and the media lights are against the common american sense of right and wrong will help our country as these people are further, and further, marginalized.

The common sense of the great mass of our people has always been under rated by the left. The sentiments of americans are conservative in many things. The failures of the world socialist intelligensia in this regard will help change their political sensibilities toward hearty american conservatism in politics.

Good Job, Jennings. Way to go, Rather. Katie, you just keep it up. For the children.