Left Wing Site Defends Media Stories Harming War Efforts

Think Progress ^ | 7 Dec 2005 | Payson

[subbob]

Fox Guest Says ABC News Is “Killing American Soldiers” You might think that in a free society the media should find the facts and truthfully report them to the public. But former Army intelligence officer Lt. Col. Ralph Peters disagrees. In his recent book, “New Glory: Expanding America’s Global Supremacy,” Peters argues that the media should act as “combatants” in wartime:

The media can no longer sustain their pretenses of being aloof, objective observers dispassionately recording events. The media are combatants. [New Glory: Expanding America’s Global Supremacy, Page 49]

Peters took his thesis to Fox News last night. When asked about a recent ABC report that the CIA moved detainees out of secret prisons in Europe prior to Secretary of State Rice’s visit, he said:

When ABC or any other outlet gives away our national secrets, or verifies them, and underscores them by repeating what others have said, and seems to verify for the world — look, they are putting Americans at risk. They’re putting our allies at risk, as you observed. And they’re putting our programs at risk. … But worst of all, Bill, it’s killing American soldiers. [The O’Reilly Factor, 12/6/05]

Bill O’Reilly agreed with Peters’ new definition of the media:

I would not have reported what ABC News reported. I would not have done it. I — as you know — didn’t put Abu Ghraib pictures on this broadcast, the only television journalist not to do so. I do feel that the press has a responsibility to help the government in the war on terror. [The O’Reilly Factor, 12/6/05]

Funny, and we thought freedom of the press was a fundamental democratic value.

Filed under: Media, Radical Right

[subbob]

It's hard to believe how many people just do not understand the role the media is playing in our current war efforts. They are batting for the enemy and do not even seem to care. Read the posts of the leftist nuts in response to the article referenced at http://thinkprogress.org/2005/12/07/abc-killing-americans

[sageb1]

Brian Ross, ABC News Chief and Investigative Commentator, who appeared with O'Reilly tonight nauseated me. He specifically said that no - if anyone died because of what his organization reported, it was not his fault.

Frankly, I wanted to punch the guy.

If his child was in Iraq and he had the choice of reporting a story that might get his son killed, would he do it?

[subbob]

You do not have to register at http://thinkprogress.org in order to respond to their thread over there.

Here's what I wrote - can't wait to see the rhetorical response:

All of the comments here just amaze me. Nearly all of you do not understand that the media IS part of the battlespace in our current war.

Our enemies - the terrorists, remember them? - have said that in their own memos. They love to see ABC, CBS, NBC, New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, et al. wring their hands over the war and report the way they are doing.

No one - including O’Reilly or Ralph Peters - is asking our press to lie. But perhaps a little bit of objectivity - and including a balance of what GOOD is happening in Iraq - would be good for the country. But they don’t want good for the country because that would translate to good for Bush. So they’d rather lose the war, bring home our troops and put us at HIGHER RISK for decades to come rather than see that happen.

Is it asking too much for them to just CONSIDER what impact a story may have on our war efforts before they print it? When the insurgents pull stories from the front page of the New York Times and use them for their own propaganda efforts - with no editing required whatsoever - none of you see that as a problem?

[farlander]

Man, your first mistake was using the big words, like "battlespace", "good for Bush" and "balance". I think lost them at the first sentence. Hope your hate/flame shields are up.

[sageb1]

Thanks for the link. You were nicer (much) than I would be. I lost my PCism a long time ago. I'll visit the site tomorrow. I'm not really sure what I am doing up past 3 in the morning. :)

[GeronL]

You might think that in a free society the media should find the facts and truthfully report them to the public.

Mary Mapes and Dan Rather do NOT agree with this. Neither does CNN, ABC, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, all the big dailies...etc...etf

[papertyger]

I make it a point NEVER to underestimate a smoker's abilty to convince himself he doesn't smell bad...

Disputing such points with anything less than direct contradiction, confrontation, and unilateral action is fruitless.

[CheyennePress]

There are people on that site who claim that Justice Gisnburg isn't a liberal.

In other words, they're insane.

[Baby Driver]

Brian Ross should be snatched, and tortured until
he gives up his traitorous sources.

[Baby Driver]

I apologize..I went too far with that one...

I *should* have said:

That while i do not advocate any criminal acts
against the betrayer Ross & his co-conspirators
of the ABCNews Division of the Enemy's propaganda
affiliates...

..That if some whacko(s) snatched Brian Ross, and
tortured him into revealing his traitorous "sources",
I would be hard pressed to work up any outrage against
his mutilation...he would deserve no pity, In My Opinion.

[sirchtruth]

It's hard to believe how many people just do not understand the role the media is playing in our current war efforts.

Don't understand? Of course people understand, they just turn the collective heads and use Free Speech as some sort of OBLIGATION to report their biases.

They have no sense of what freedom is worth because they have been brought up in a country that basically teaches:

Selfishness, Unaccountability, and Irresponsibility is your RIGHT! And these dumbasses believe it's more important and righteous to do the opposite of what's Good, Honest, and Responsible. The idea of America was not just soley created for YOUR RIGHTS, it WAS about taking responsibility.

[trebb]

The media is acting as combatants - enemy combatants.

[Dilbert56]

There is a congressman name Marshall, from Georgia. He traveled to Iraq and made the connection between the traitorous media and the deaths of our soldiers. Prior to that, I think most people thought supporting the troops was like cheering at a football game. It helps morale and indirectly helps you win the game.

What Rep. Marshall pointed out was that the lives of our troops are saved or lost by the cooperation of the Iraqi people. At the time of his visit, before the 2004 election, he said tips from civilians found about half the IEDs. The rest were found when they exploded. Every news article that leads Iraqis to doubt our commitment reduces this cooperation. People worry that cooperating with the government will get them killed. They worry America will abandon Iraq, the way it did South Vietnam. Rep. Marshall served in Vietnam, BTW. If we abandon them, and the anti-government forces prevail, anyone who cooperated with the allies or the Iraqi government will face retribution.

Every negative story lessens the willingness of Iraqi citizens to cooperate. Then more of our troops die. It is treasonous to slant the news in a way that gets our people killed. I don't think there's any question that it's occurring daily. Our soldiers and Iraqi's all paint a more positive picture than the media. It's not just their "position", they are voting with their lives. Soldiers re-up and civilians defy terrorists to vote.

Death to the old media.