Quote:
Originally posted by RougeUnderoos+Dec 11 2004, 01:22 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (RougeUnderoos @ Dec 11 2004, 01:22 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Cowperson@Dec 10 2004, 05:46 PM
While I agree this is an inconsequential event and totally agree with your "navel-gazing" comment, you'll have to demonstrate it has actually superceded the real issue, the lack of preparedness for the insurgency in Iraq and the continued catching up on armouring vulnerable vehicles.
The prominent story on the New York Times site right now is:
"Armor Scarce for Big Trucks Transporting Cargo in Iraq"
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/10/internat...artner=homepage
The reporter issue is nowhere to be seen at the Washington Post site. If you want to go looking inside the Washington Post, its great media commentator, Howard Kurtz, devotes part of his column to it, but that's basically his job. I'm sure Kurtz will have it on his media program on CNN on Sunday morning as well.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/natio...ns/kurtzhoward/
There's no notice of it at the LA Times site.
It remains in a prominent position at the USA Today site, over a story "Plans for Armor." Your argument has legitimacy at that site at least. The underlying link at USAToday:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...ary-armor_x.htm
The Chicago Sun-Times has a brief, non-committal story on the facts of the matter in its Iraq section, by and large probably the normal treatment.
On television media sites, at MSNBC.com, The Bloggerman opinion piece deals with it but is not prominently displayed. No news story on the reporter there.
CNN headlines its site right now with "Army seeks more armoured humvees" and a picture of a worker preparing one. Underneath, a secondary story on the reporter issue - basically the opposite treatment given the thing by USA Today. They have a video link to a story about a lack of armor on military vehicles. CNN also has a story on morale problems in the Army. You certainly can't say the "right" issue is being buried there.
The news story on the reporter issue has already disappeared from FOX's site, although one columnist opines on it briefly in a notes section lower down.
There doesn't appear to be anything about it at the CBS site main page.
At ABC News there is a headline: "Military said to be working on armor upgrade" lower down on its site. There's also a video link to "Vulnerable Vehicles." No display of the reporter controversy.
Its mentioned in the Americas section of BBC.com but not on the main page.
I agree its media navel gazing but your probably overstating its prominence.. Dan Rather TRULY submarined the GW Bush national guard records story. You'd be right on with that one.
This appears to mostly have already come and gone or disappearing fast while the armor issue remains as per the above references.
My observation anyway.
Cowperson
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Well it should be obvious why I ignored the New York Times lol.
CNN as I see it still has the "planted question" story as the 4th highest headline (behind Berlusconi, how to act at the Christmas party, a cat's headstone and finally dead Iraqi election workers). That's the international site though and soldier griping is the lead story w/picture on the "America" page so I guess I'm hooped there.
Maybe I am overstating it's prominence but through watching the tube and surfing the news sites it seemed to get at least as much play as ther serious story. Why is that? I don't know. Lanny called it a "shell game" and it really looks like that to me. It's obvious that they would try to obfuscate* the negative story and point people in the other direction and they did it pretty well. Doing that is probably in the job description of a politician though. Too bad the journalists are so easily duped.
This all reminds me of a story that came out shortly after 9/11. I don't remember the details but it was a PR flak in London and she may have worked for the government. Anyhow, it came out that at some point in the hours right after the planes crashed she said something like "lets air all the dirty laundry that needs airing today". She got canned for it I believe. I know the scenario is different from this one but we all should recognize that this is the mindset they are working from. They don't want us (well, Americans) to hear the bad news. Of course they don't.
*obfuscate -- I've never used this word before but I think I used it properly. If I'm wrong then someone tell me and I'll try to come up with something else. I really like the spelling and how the f comes right after the b. That's pretty rare! [/b][/quote]
If it's getting as much play tomorrow or the next day and so on then it's in Dan Rather territory and you've got a point. Come back then and tell me what you see - chances are it will be virtually zero.
My only point in the exercise above was to note that you can visibly observe "it" fading to black while the central issue remains, as evidenced by the update at MSNBC as one example, which goes hard on the equipment and morale issues in Iraq.
And, like you, I don't even really regard it as a story and hope it dies the early death it should.
For media pundits like Kurtz though, looking at the ethics of the profession, it will provide some interesting fodder for their backpage columns for some days to come.
Cowperson