My imagination?

[Angie]

Is it just my imagination, or is every American broadcasting about the war in Iraq, a member of the Republican Party?

I have learned that those who have accepted positions as war correspondents, 'embedded', in Iraq have had to sign contracts that their reports would be subject to censorship. Having reporters 'in bed' with the military, in this way, has allowed misinformation to be circulated. Stories which are not true, as some sort of war propaganda. Censorship, during wartime, is not something new. When there is only room for one point of view, the reporters lose their credibility as journalists.

Does it help to be a Republican Party member to get such an assignment?

Is everyone at CNN a member of the Republican Party?

As I was watching the coverage of the death of Michael Kelly, it stuck me that he was also a radical republican. How he was a very strong conservative, with ties to other powerful conservatives. How he saw things only in terms of black & white, with no grey area. How extreme his hatred for Clinton really was. How gung-ho he was, for this war! I did see a short segment, (on CNN), where he expounded on his thoughts and beliefs.

I don't know anything beyond the fact that he lost his life while in the hummer. A traffic accident? Was alcohol a factor? With things the way they are, we are not likely to hear anymore about it.

[Monte Smith]

This is very much your imagination, Angie. Except for the part about everyone at CNN being a Republican. That is true.

[moneyp]

From my limited experience watching him, I'd guess Ted Koppel is moderate to liberal. He has, at least, questioned the validity of the war and of certain military actions several times. The little subtextual sparring matches between him and Peter Jennings are kinda entertaining.

[Pete C]

Outside of "Bill Moyers NOW" I haven't seen anything on American television that challenges the Military-Republican-Media complex.

[Dennis Gonzalez]

My wife and I sit and try to watch Fox, MSNBC, even Peter Jennings, and are struck by how controlled the commentary is. Angie, you are very close to the truth. Even if a commentator is not Republican, he/she must not cross that ideological line and editorialize in this (left of Conservative) direction. If you're on the "right" side of the line, hey, editorialize away.

You know, of course, that the radio stations across the country have been bought en masse by a very few Conservative corporations, hence the extreme preponderance of pro-War commentary and coverage there as well.

[Pete C]

Originally posted by Dennis Gonzalez
You know, of course, that the radio stations across the country have been bought en masse by a very few Conservative corporations, hence the extreme preponderance of pro-War commentary and coverage there as well.

re: media consolidation

http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_bigmedia.html

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally posted by Angie
Does it help to be a Republican Party member to get such an assignment?

No, not really. Just like their leadership, Democratic journalists will capitulate just fine to the far-right and the neo-con agenda. As long as they can keep their nice jobs.

With few exceptions, most journalists in mainstream media are restrained by the policies and ideologies, voiced or implied, of the corporations they work for. Those that agree with those policies don't have a problem, but those that don't must either comply or get fired. It's not that they're blameless, but they do show their weaknesses.

[Salvador Dali Lama]

eh I know a lot of CNN employees, and one reporter.

None of them are republicans. Not even close.

And all but the reporter are psuedo socialists. the ones that DO vote, vote green. The reporter is a democrat.

But maybe you havent noticed: the overwhelming majority of democrats are all for war too.

[Monte Smith]

If it helps, I know two CNN employees--one a producer, the other works for their internet site. The producer is a conservative independent, the web guy is a kneejerk liberal Democrat.

[Chris A]

Angie, I think they come in all political colors, but the direction is clearly more supportive of Bush and his war. Calling the U.S. military "liberators," for example, is a pure White House spin. I think, however, that most of these so-called news people have little on the brain--they are, basically, wimpy talking heads who just say what their news director tells them to say.

If you catch news broadcasts from other countries (including the BBC), you will often find an entirely different approach. As I see it, American broadcasters have had the fear of being labeled unpatriotic thrust upon them. It is really quite pathetic. I won't even go into Fox, which is totally in the conservative pocket, but broadcasters like Wolf and the creepy squinty-eyed one on MSNBC surround themselves with retired generals and become nothing more than a Pentagon outlet.

[Salvador Dali Lama]

And all this is why I say PBS news is best. Its not sensasionalist or reactionary like all the other news channels. And they arent part of a propaghanda machine like the others.

My favorite thing is to hear uber-liberal types bitch and moan about Fox news. This guy says the other day "fox news is basically run by the government!" I said "and msnbc isnt?". i didnt get a response. that happens a lot whenever i talk politics or current affairs with people, they just stop talking. its kind of weak.

but thats like so called liberals that still think the democrats care about them. what a sad bunch.

[Dennis Gonzalez]

That's funny..."kneejerk Liberal democrat"!

Now that would be a funny thread...political labels for people.

[Gary Sisco]

TV ain't news; it's showbiz.

The local CBS affiliate has long been called WGOP around here.

I just don't watch any of it.

[jazzbluescat]

I think that the government & military complex is doing an excellent job at controlling the news/disinformation; considering that there are 800+ reporters over there running around like keystone cops trying/pretending to get scoops/discovering/creating stories.
Even our local paper has a reporter & photographer there, giving us that humane side of the war, keeping their families abreast of every move. It's truly heart-warming; you know, war with heart.

We gonna free them Iraqis. Then they can see it the way Haliburton and Cheney see it.


Maybe we need a "Rant & Rave" forum, separate from the Alley(?).

[Tom Storer]

I don't know about CNN or other American media, but the French media is 100% anti-war. Not a chink in the armor. NO pro-Bush or pro-war commentary that I have seen or heard. Does this mean there is a "line" enforced from on high that cannot be deviated from?

Well, probably, yes. On the other hand, I have yet to meet a French person who is not anti-Bush or anti-war, and this across the board, from far left to far right. Is that because they are manipulated by the media or simply all agree? Even if the pro-war view were represented, I suspect opinion would be very, very strongly anti-war. Keeping pro-war opinion off the air just makes things neatly unanimous, maybe. Vive la liberté!

Oops, I told a lie - I *did* see pro-war commentary. It was a political debate show and Alain Madelin, a right-wing, free-market politician (a position known in France as "libéral") was pro-war, together with a British Tory and a right-wing historian who was at once in favor of war against Hussein and enraged at Donald Rumsfeld for sneering at the French. But that was several months ago. Madelin has been keeping a low profile since then.

[Angie]

Let me provide two examples of questionable tactics being used at CNN.

In the middle of the night, I saw a report from a neurologist working with the 'Devil Docs'. Dr Sanjay Gupta reported on recent events, then made a comment that injured Iraqis were not welcome at hospitals in Kuwait, after being treated in the Mash-type unit. They included Iraqi soldiers and ordinary citizens.

The next day, CNN ran that taped report again. This time, the comments about hospitals in Kuwait was gone. It had been neatly edited and the cut was very smooth. If I had not seen the live report, I would not have noticed that the tape had been tampered with.

The second example is about the female soldier, Jessica Lynch, from West Virginia, who was rescued from an Iraqi hospital after she had been injured. Reports on her injuries said that she had been shot, several times, and been stabbed. The reports also included that she had two broken legs and a broken arm. While under the care of the doctors in Germany, medical reports claimed that there was no evidence of gunshot wounds, or knife entries. We learned that she had suffered a back injury. There was no need to embellish that heroic story, to make it more dramatic, for political reasons!

Since then, a verbal dialogue between Jessica Lynch and her rescuers, at the time of her rescue, has been reported. Now I am wondering if there is any truth behind that reported exchange. Given that some stories get edited, while others are embellished, one has to question the veracity of CNN reports.

Since I am in western Canada, it is possible to watch some late night coverage, after the rest of you have gone to bed. I am highlighting the fact that tapes are subject to change overnight. We also see BBC and CBC reports, which are a bit more objective than programs coming from the US networks and cable news stations. We try to glean some truth from what we are seeing, hearing and reading. In the end, we draw our own conclusions.

[patricia]

Ah, the magic of the electronic media.
If we SEE it, right on TV, it must be true, so let's re-draw the truth, through judicious editing, to suit the truth as WE, THE LIBERATORS see it, or more importantly, as we want YOU to see it.

We see STORIES, edited for whatever reason, not necessarily truth, as it unfolds.

All that needs to happen is that the graph on the "threat level" is raised, or lowered, and implications are drawn, for reasons never fully explained. Keep the populance constantly on edge, depending on the Government to, somehow, protect them.

[Salvador Dali Lama]

Where is Jello Biafra when you need him?

He mad a record like a month ago, but fuck that spoken word shit. I wish the Dead Kennedys never broke up.

[GoodSpeak]

Angie, It's the New Dictatorship. republicans OWN the government [thanks to the idiots who inhabit the Green Party] and the republicans OWN the presidency [thanks to the idiots who inhabit the Green Party...did I already say that? I'm so sorry] and the worst of it is, America is ASLEEP. The voters are duped by the republican lie and numbed by the Clinton BJ and subsequent sham impeachment.

We are a Nation of IDIOTS destine to lock step behind whatever it is the conservative media force feeds us. This is the END, Angie. It is the end. The republicans have KILLED democracy and replaced it with christian coalition platitudes, anti-thinking rhetoric and under funding phantom programs like "no child left behind". It is ALL about "image" and farce elections controlled by conservatives LOADED with money.

There IS no justice anymore. It's all about money, power, greed and who has the influence to throw elections.

America is DEAD.


And I cry out loud for my children as they cheer for Bush's War.







Kill an Iraqi for Christ.

[Chris A]

Ever noticed how greed and religious fanaticism go hand in hand?

That combination is unraveling our country--and much of the world around us.

[GoodSpeak]

No Angie.


It isn't your imagination.






Take the LONG way home...

[Monte Smith]

Originally posted by GoodSpeak
Angie, It's the New Dictatorship. republicans OWN the government [thanks to the idiots who inhabit the Green Party] and the republicans OWN the presidency [thanks to the idiots who inhabit the Green Party...did I already say that? I'm so sorry] and the worst of it is, America is ASLEEP. The voters are duped by the republican lie and numbed by the Clinton BJ and subsequent sham impeachment.

We are a Nation of IDIOTS destine to lock step behind whatever it is the conservative media force feeds us. This is the END, Angie. It is the end. The republicans have KILLED democracy and replaced it with christian coalition platitudes, anti-thinking rhetoric and under funding phantom programs like "no child left behind". It is ALL about "image" and farce elections controlled by conservatives LOADED with money.

There IS no justice anymore. It's all about money, power, greed and who has the influence to throw elections.

America is DEAD.


And I cry out loud for my children as they cheer for Bush's War.







Kill an Iraqi for Christ.




Bit off topic here, but are any of you uncomfortable agreeing that America is a nation of idiots led by a Pied Piper media of conservative bent--

when Goody is among the enlightened few who can see thru it all?

[Al in NYC]

Interesting that Angie's feeling is exactly the opposite of the "biased liberal media" complaint most often heard in the U.S. itself.

Even though I'm adamantly against the war myself, I do find it interesting that as per Tom's post, and given their strong anti-Fascist democratic history, that opinion in France should be so unanimously against deposing Saddam.

[Tom Storer]

Your French homme dans la rue sees it as a question of democracy on a world scale: whereas Bush and co. believe the US should send in occupying armies to impose "democracy" wherever they see fit, the French believe that international institutions should decide international questions, particularly where warfare is concerned, on a basis of consensus and negotiation. That the current system for doing so is imperfect is, in their view, no reason to prefer one in which American armies make all the decisions. Politics by unilateral military coercion is not their idea of democracy.

It's curious that so many American conservatives, normally allergic to the idea of big government interfering in people's lives, should so cheerfully accept the idea of our government planning, as Monte puts it, to reform the entire Middle East, and at gunpoint. Talk about big government. World government, even! And to protect America, secret military tribunals! No problem for the anti-big-government right, apparently. What's wrong with this picture? As a recent Doonesbury cartoon put things recently, "Whoops! Down the rabbit hole!"

[Salvador Dali Lama]

the anti-big government right is just a big a myth as the liberal media.

the right are VERY pro big government. they just say they arent when theres a democrat president so they can fuck his shit up. the government has grown more under Bush's FIRST TWO YEARS than Clintons first SIX. and the right loves this guy. they're very, very pro-big government. as long as its a right-wing big government.

[moneyp]

Originally posted by Angie
The second example is about the female soldier, Jessica Lynch, from West Virginia, who was rescued from an Iraqi hospital after she had been injured. Reports on her injuries said that she had been shot, several times, and been stabbed. The reports also included that she had two broken legs and a broken arm. While under the care of the doctors in Germany, medical reports claimed that there was no evidence of gunshot wounds, or knife entries. We learned that she had suffered a back injury. There was no need to embellish that heroic story, to make it more dramatic, for political reasons!

Somewhat clarified today, although I still don't quite get it.

"Lynch, a 19-year-old supply clerk, was in stable condition in the intensive care unit, where she was being treated for a head wound, an injury to her spine, and fractures to her right arm, both legs, her right foot and ankle.
The hospital also confirmed the possibility that gunshots may have caused fractures to the upper right arm and lower left leg. The hospital commander, Col. David Rubenstein, previously said no entry or exit wounds consistent with gunshot wounds had been found."

[RBS]

You're right on, Angie.

CNN seems to have a right-wing bent, from what I can tell, regardless of whether or not their back office employees are liberal or not.

The "talking heads" are definitely pro-war, because they are sensationalizing it, making it seem as if we are the most terrific people to walk the face of the planet earth.

Wolf Blitzer makes me sick. He looks like a jackass. You'd have to be a jackass with a name like WOLF. Who names their kid Wolf?

I bet his real name is Rico Goldstein.

The best is PBS. Honest, nonemotional, nonsensationalistic, and pretty nonbiased. I especially like "Washington Week" on Friday nights. It gives you all you need to see for the week. It is a nice, calm, roundtable discussion, instead of Wolf blathering on about how we've "beaten back the Republican Guard," which looks to be about 50 middle-aged guys with 20 year old rifles.

[Salvador Dali Lama]

And quite naturally, PBS got the asshole cut out of its federal budget.

[Il Anto]

Did anybody catch 60 Minutes last night? There were reports on the anti-American rage in Jordan, thousands of Muslim men being confined for weeks and months after September 11th, and Andy Rooney was particularly on fire. It was very surprising and as it was quite a breath of fresh air.

[Uli]

Originally posted by Il Anto
Did anybody catch 60 Minutes last night? There were reports on the anti-American rage in Jordan, thousands of Muslim men being confined for weeks and months after September 11th, and Andy Rooney was particularly on fire. It was very surprising and as it was quite a breath of fresh air.


Yes, I did and I agree with you. The segment with the two arabs confined was really depressing. There is absoulutely no need for this kind of crap and it does not do anything to make us a safer place.

[Chris A]

Originally posted by Il Anto
Did anybody catch 60 Minutes last night? There were reports on the anti-American rage in Jordan, thousands of Muslim men being confined for weeks and months after September 11th, and Andy Rooney was particularly on fire. It was very surprising and as it was quite a breath of fresh air.

Here it is....


Just Tell Us the Truth

(CBS)_A weekly commentary by CBS News Correspondent Andy Rooney.


I've lived a long while now and I don't remember any more unpleasant times than these. I'm not even interested in reading the sports pages. I hate everything about this war except that we're winning it.

You can't even be critical, either, without sounding unpatriotic. It's why Peter Arnett got fired by NBC for speaking on Iraqi television.

I'm patriotic but I wish our government would stop treating this war as if they had to sell it to us with slick advertising slogans.

The White House Web site puts out a bulletin about the war with this headline: OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.

Come on, all we want is the news, not a sales pitch.

They called our bombing campaign against Baghdad "Shock and Awe."

After the UN refused to approve the war, our government put together a list of countries it said supported us. They called it a "coalition of the willing."

The generals don't talk about American soldiers. It's always "coalition forces."

It's as if there were no Americans there.

Reporters have been sucked into it, too.

The word makes it sound as though we're just a few countries short of having the whole world on our side, and that isn't true. Most of the world is against us. The Administration says 49 countries are part of the coalition. I see that Eritrea, Uganda and Iceland are on our side.

The fact is, though, we're in this thing with the British, who have 45,000 soldiers there, and the Australians, who have 2,000. That's it. The other 46 wish us well or let us fly bombers over their country. Big deal.

We've practically bribed some of them. We offered Turkey $15 billion to let our troops go through there but they refused. President Bush won't be sending the president of Turkey anything for his birthday this year.

There aren't any good wars, but this one is especially bad. We want to win it quickly without more death but we're grown-up people, too. The President, Rumsfeld and the generals ought to stop treating us like children. Tell us the truth. We can take it even when it's bad.

And the only real good news will be when this terrible time in American history is over.