November 13, 2007 -- "LAST weekend's news coverage of our veterans was welcome, but deceptive. The "mainstream media" honored aging heroes and noted the debt we owe to today's wounded warriors - but deftly avoided in-depth coverage from Iraq. Why? Because things are going annoyingly well.
All those reporters, editors and producers who predicted - longed for - an American defeat have moved on to more pressing strategic issues, such as O.J.'s latest shenanigans.
Oh, if you turned to the inner pages of the "leading" newspapers, you found grudging mention of the fact that roadside-bomb attacks are down by half and indirect-fire attacks by three-quarters while the number of suicide bombings has plummeted.
Far fewer Iraqi civilians are dying at the hands of extremists. U.S. and Coalition casualty rates have fallen dramatically. The situation has changed so unmistakably and so swiftly that we should be reading proud headlines daily.
Where are they? Is it really so painful for all those war-porno journos to accept that our military - and the Iraqis - may have turned the situation around? Shouldn't we read and see and hear a bit of praise for today's soldiers and the prog- ress they're making?
The media's new trick is to concentrate coverage on our wounded, mouthing platitudes while using military amputees as props to suggest that, no matter what happens in Iraq, everything's still a disaster.
God knows, I sympathize with - and respect - those who've sacrificed life or limb in our country's service. I just hate to see them used as political tools.
How many of you really believe that those perfectly coiffed reporters care about our soldiers and their families? Does anyone think those news anchors will invite any Marines in wheelchairs home for Thanksgiving?"
Will you, Ralph?
But in all seriousness, and not to excuse the same media that forever regales us with tales of how all fired important they are, but a not-burning building doesn't get any press. Neither does dog bites man, but carnage and flames and tales of woe are what sell newspapers and feminine hygiene products on the boob tube. The real job of any medium is to sell its advertisers products. This we learn in Journalism 101. Yes, there was a time when news divisions were loss leaders, and as far as that goes so are virtually ALL of the leftwing cable offerings, but you cannot fault a reporter if there's nothing gory to report about. This tends to make them invent stories and we can't have that now or every outlet would begin to resemble the NY Times.
"Nothing Much Happened Today" isn't the most glamorous of headlines, but Ralph is spot on when arguing that if day after day we were bombarded with the slightest indication that things weren't going all that swell, there SHOULD be some thought given to how the peace is being won. It isn't sexy, but NOT losing lives is news, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment