Media Coverage

[Dos Equis]

Following up on a discussion with Decker about media coverage.  Here is one example of how sites like CNN, Fox, and the AP cover the news. 

For two (and possibly three?) days running CNN has featured a horribly disfigured Iraqi boy on the front page of its website.  It's a nice story, but I think the grotesque pictures are an attempt to negatively influence public opinion against the war and possibly the Bush Administration.  Although they recently stopped this, they routinely had a picture of a screaming Iraqi on the front page at least once or twice (or more) a week.   

At the same time that CNN is showing pictures of this poor kid as its featured story, the AP has the following headline:  "Torture chamber found in Iraq."   http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ_TORTURE_CHAMBER?SITE=HIHAD&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Now I wonder which story is more newsworthy? 

At same time, Fox had the following story on its front page:  "U.S. Senate Report: Over 400 Prominent Scientists Disputed Man-Made Global Warming Claims in 2007."    http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=f80a6386-802a-23ad-40c8-3c63dc2d02cb

Why wasn't this the CNN feature story? 

Just a couple of examples.  Not earth shattering, but noteworthy.  I'll try and update this (if I can remember). 

[Decker]

How is showing a horribly disfigured Iraqi boy on the front page of its website going to influence american opinion of the war?

Shouldn't we be taking it to the Iraqis that attack us...even if they are children?

Was a torture chamber found in Iraq?  I would think that would be a boost to pro-war advocates that we are not only working with Iraqi sectarian death squads, we are destroying their torture chambers too.

As for the Global Warming story, no serious climatologist contends that global warming is 'man-made'.  Someone Better tell the Bush administration then:

Bush Administration Quietly Admits Global Warming Real
http://www.monitor.net/monitor/0408a/bushadmitsglobalwarming.html

[240 is Back]

Colossal Friday owning there!

[Dos Equis]

How is showing a horribly disfigured Iraqi boy on the front page of its website going to influence american opinion of the war?

Shouldn't we be taking it to the Iraqis that attack us...even if they are children?

Was a torture chamber found in Iraq?  I would think that would be a boost to pro-war advocates that we are not only working with Iraqi sectarian death squads, we are destroying their torture chambers too.

As for the Global Warming story, no serious climatologist contends that global warming is 'man-made'.  Someone Better tell the Bush administration then:

Bush Administration Quietly Admits Global Warming Real
http://www.monitor.net/monitor/0408a/bushadmitsglobalwarming.html

Oh come on dude.  Showing a picture of a boy disfigured during the war clearly doesn't endear people to the troops or the war effort.  This is actually a continuum.  It's consistent with CNN's attempt to negatively influence public opinion about the war. 

What does Bush's statement have to do with the 400 scientists who dispute man-made global warming and why CNN failed to highlight the story?       

[Decker]

Oh come on dude.  Showing a picture of a boy disfigured during the war clearly doesn't endear people to the troops or the war effort.  This is actually a continuum.  It's consistent with CNN's attempt to negatively influence public opinion about the war. 

What does Bush's statement have to do with the 400 scientists who dispute man-made global warming and why CNN failed to highlight the story?       

War is hell, right?  Well not anymore.  It's cool (Bush dressed like GI JOE to announce the end of major battles).  If that kid in the story was a suicide bomber then he got his.  On the other hand, is showing the fruits of war a bad thing? 

In all seriousness, it is not the province of the media to act like cheerleaders for the administration's war.  The media are a business.  Death sells.  Ahmad opening a hotdog stand in downtown Bahgdad does not sell.

And if I hear one more "Al Qaeda's #2 captured" story that consistently floods the media, I think I'll change the station.

[Dos Equis]

War is hell, right?  Well not anymore.  It's cool (Bush dressed like GI JOE to announce the end of major battles).  If that kid in the story was a suicide bomber then he got his.  On the other hand, is showing the fruits of war a bad thing? 

In all seriousness, it is not the province of the media to act like cheerleaders for the administration's war.  The media are a business.  Death sells.  Ahmad opening a hotdog stand in downtown Bahgdad does not sell.

And if I hear one more "Al Qaeda's #2 captured" story that consistently floods the media, I think I'll change the station.

War is awful.  There are horrible stories.  There are fantastic stories.  There are stories of bravery, heroism, and compassion.  There are stories of criminal activity, death, mayhem, and tragedy.  A good 90+ percent of what we hear is the "hell" portion.  I think both CNN and Fox are guilty of this. 

I don't expect the media to be a cheerleader.  I expect them to report the news.  All of it, not just the bad news.  I don't want them cherry picking stories to influence public opinion either.  Tell the whole story.     

[Decker]

War is awful.  There are horrible stories.  There are fantastic stories.  There are stories of bravery, heroism, and compassion.  There are stories of criminal activity, death, mayhem, and tragedy.  A good 90+ percent of what we hear is the "hell" portion.  I think both CNN and Fox are guilty of this. 

I don't expect the media to be a cheerleader.  I expect them to report the news.  All of it, not just the bad news.  I don't want them cherry picking stories to influence public opinion either.  Tell the whole story.     

They report what sells.  That is the essence of capitalism.  Why should reporting be immune from capitalistic concerns?

Are you proposing media control on some governmental level...some sort of regulation?

[Dos Equis]

They report what sells.  That is the essence of capitalism.  Why should reporting be immune from capitalistic concerns?

Are you proposing media control on some governmental level...some sort of regulation?

You just confirmed my point regarding the war.  A majority of the public is opposed to the war, so there is a concerted effort by parts of the media to feed into that sentiment, and probably increase it.  I've been saying that for months. 

No, I'm not proposing any sort of government control of the media.  (But there is a poster here who believes the CIA controls the media.)  I'm proposing they report ALL of the news.

The war isn't the only area where the media has problems.  They are obsessed with sex (yes sex sells).  They constantly play the race card.     

[JBGRAY]

News is profit-driven.  CNN and MSNBC has a particular slant, and FOX has another slant.  Anyone who solely watches these stations as their one and only source of information should not be regarded as being informed at all.  However, there is more than one news site.  We have the internet as well.  Of all the stuff being reported, with all the diverse sources available to us, I'm sure that the actual truth can be assembled together.

Arguing about what CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc...does and how they show the news is pointless.  It'd doubtful that their main purpose is to influence the public, but it's to sell newspapers, advertising, and television times.  Honest reporting takes a backseat to those, and I don't even think there can be such a thing as Honest reporting......any kind of words or images can be interpreted by various people in different meanings.  People run and report the news, and people are naturally biased. 

If you want "honest" news, might as well just have a bunch of cameras in every hotspot in the world conveying the images to us constantly in real-time. 

[Dos Equis]

I want honest reporting.  I don't really expect it (although I did say that).  It will never happen.  That's part of the reason why I use so many sources to get "news." 

[headhuntersix]

CNN is slanted....I've met most of the top dogs and they all have an agenda even if its just to make themselves the star. Christiane Amanpour is a prime example. Wolf Blitzer is a whiny bitch..the Fox guys come off better. The troops like them better. There are some from CBS/ABC/NBC that are ok but most of my work has been with the cable networks. Barbara Star prime bitch. They all have ego's but Fox does a better job of being troop friendly. Fox is on in all of the chowhalls and HQ's. Its that way fora reason. Nobody likes CNN. Everybody has an agenda. As far as the CIA controlling the media....considering the avalanche of bad press they get, all the time..the guy doing that job outa get fired. The only guys who do a good job of manipulating the press from a military standpoint is the guys from...well they have a one letter name and basically they spoon feed the media and they, the media lap it up. Even when bad press comes out they spin it quickly to their advantage.

[Dos Equis]

CNN is slanted....I've met most of the top dogs and they all have an agenda even if its just to make themselves the star. Christiane Amanpour is a prime example. Wolf Blitzer is a whiny bitch..the Fox guys come off better. The troops like them better. There are some from CBS/ABC/NBC that are ok but most of my work has been with the cable networks. Barbara Star prime bitch. They all have ego's but Fox does a better job of being troop friendly. Fox is on in all of the chowhalls and HQ's. Its that way fora reason. Nobody likes CNN. Everybody has an agenda. As far as the CIA controlling the media....considering the avalanche of bad press they get, all the time..the guy doing that job outa get fired. The only guys who do a good job of manipulating the press from a military standpoint is the guys from...well they have a one letter name and basically they spoon feed the media and they, the media lap it up. Even when bad press comes out they spin it quickly to their advantage.

Great info.  Thanks.  Interesting that the troops like Fox better than CNN. 

And yes, the guy charged with facilitating the CIA control of the media should definitely be fired.   

[headhuntersix]

I have some pretty good stories that i can't relate, regarding my post. Watch when the SOF folks do something and how its played as opposed to normal military forces. There was a guy that wrote a pretty shitty article about SOF forces about 2 years ago. They wanted to smoke him, instead he's been blackballed so I guess he sits inside the Green Zone and tries to file stories. He can't get imbedded with the shithouse cleaners. We can't do what they do but its fun to watch.

[Dos Equis]

To their credit, CNN featured, for a moment, a good news story from Iraq.  http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/12/22/baghdad.parks.ap/index.html

[headhuntersix]

Since we're barely hearing anything bad about Iraq right now....they have to report something. The surge has worked..despite all the denials. Its nbot perfect in Iraq but with less deaths to our soldiers and Iraqi's, we can rebuild the infrastructure and that brings more folks to our side. Its working and will aloow us to pull out if it continues.

[Dos Equis]

I hope you're right.  One of my friends just went back for his second tour.    I hope there is a RIF soon. 

[headhuntersix]

Look at the news....its very quiet.

[Dos Equis]

Good point.  It really is quiet. 

[240 is Back]

goal of surge was to fix the iraqi political system, right?

is it quantifiably better now?

Let's get this war over with.  we have bases built and we own 80% of their oil to buy exclusively at any price we see fit.  WE FUCKING WON.  There is the victory.  Not some piddly little al maliki ahievements, we all know those are temporary.  we own control over mid east airspace, MAD capability, and control trillions in oil.   

I'm happy you twunts cannot deny it was about oil and bases anymore.  You are owned and you are pathetics for believing "it was about democracy" cause it wasnt.  I'm also happy we can start scaling back troops now so we stop losing men over there.  We won in Iraq.  The rest is just political window dressing.  Let's see Patreaeus will come back in Oct 2008 to talk about all the advancements we've made, bush declares victory, BB and I-One jump around because "they won!"   Yep.  We won when we took control of oil and built bases. 

[headhuntersix]

Merry Christmas 240...anyway with Afganistan heating up again...some of those guys will headed there.

[Decker]

Since we're barely hearing anything bad about Iraq right now....they have to report something. The surge has worked..despite all the denials. Its nbot perfect in Iraq but with less deaths to our soldiers and Iraqi's, we can rebuild the infrastructure and that brings more folks to our side. Its working and will aloow us to pull out if it continues.

We’re not hearing anything bad about Iraq right now b/c the corporate media is not reporting the bad news.

There are more Iraqi deaths in 2007 than in 2005.  In 2006, thousands were dying per month.  In 2007 hundreds are dying per month. 

What did the Iraqi people do to earn that honor?

That’s just the deaths.  That doesn’t include the displaced Iraqis driven from the country.

“The Surge” can never be a success b/c of the illegitimacy of the Iraqi Invasion.

Why are scores of Iraqis being killed again?  For what reason?

So the US is rebuilding the Iraqi infrastructure that the US destroyed in the first place?

How magnanimous of our country.  We’ll kill you or drive your from your land and we’ll blow up your country, but we will rebuild the damage…at a cost to you Iraqis of course.

[Dos Equis]

This morning's CNN, Fox, and AP headlines:

CNN:  "With year to go, Bush's legacy a mixed bag."  Picture of haggled, worried, unsmiling Bush.  Replaced after a while by another picture of Bush pointing his finger, apparently arguing with someone.

Fox:  "Special Christmas Gift - solider returns home from Iraq in time to hold newborn son, whom he's never seen, on child's first Christmas."  Picture of soldier holding his baby, foreheads touching. 

AP:  "Obama, Romney Lead in New Hampshire Poll."

[Decker]

This morning's CNN, Fox, and AP headlines:

CNN:  "With year to go, Bush's legacy a mixed bag."  Picture of haggled, worried, unsmiling Bush.  Replaced after a while by another picture of Bush pointing his finger, apparently arguing with someone.

Fox:  "Special Christmas Gift - solider returns home from Iraq in time to hold newborn son, whom he's never seen, on child's first Christmas."  Picture of soldier holding his baby, foreheads touching. 

AP:  "Obama, Romney Lead in New Hampshire Poll."

Wow, damning indeed. 

I just wonder how the American public would view the success of the Surge if it knew that the US is still killing hundreds of Iraqis a month?

AP:  Threat Forces Flight to Land in Omaha

CNN:  'Web of miracles' join soldier, disabled Iraqi boy

FOX:  Huckabee: No Apologies for Christmas 'Cross' Ad

That does look like an intentional liberal bias in the media.  I'm not sure how but maybe you are right?

What a coup!  Right wing corporate ownership of the media lets the peon workers run the show. 

How socialist of them.

Fox is owned by a conglomerate headed up by Rupert Murdoch--a lifelong right winger with dominating right wing political influence through his media holdings first in Australia and then America. 

I guess all the death and misery caused by Bush and his invasion/surge should share equal time with the positive killings we are doing over there in Iraq?


Some other right wing accomplices in our right wing media:

GENERAL ELECTRIC --(donated 1.1 million to GW Bush for his 2000 election campaign & Big Defense Contractor)

Television Holdings:
* NBC: includes 13 stations, 28% of US households.
* NBC Network News: The Today Show, Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Meet the Press, Dateline NBC, NBC News at Sunrise.
* CNBC business television; MSNBC 24-hour cable and Internet news service (co-owned by NBC and Microsoft); Court TV (co-owned with Time Warner), Bravo (50%), A&E (25%), History Channel (25%).
The "MS" in MSNBC
means microsoft
The same Microsoft that donated 2.4 million to get GW bush elected.


WESTINGHOUSE / CBS INC. (A Big Defense Contractor)
Westinghouse Electric Company, part of the Nuclear Utilities Business Group of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL)
whos #1 on the Board of Directors? None other than:
Frank Carlucci (of the Carlyle Group)

Television Holdings:
* CBS: includes 14 stations and over 200 affiliates in the US.
* CBS Network News: 60 minutes, 48 hours, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, CBS Morning News, Up to the Minute.
* Country Music Television, The Nashville Network, 2 regional sports networks.
* Group W Satellite Communications.
Other Holdings:
* Westinghouse Electric Company: provides services to the nuclear power industry.
* Westinghouse Government Environmental Services Company: disposes of nuclear and hazardous wastes. Also operates 4 government-owned nuclear power plants in the US.
* Energy Systems: provides nuclear power plant design and maintenance.


DISNEY / ABC / CAP (donated 640 thousand to GW's 2000 campaign and big defense contractor)
Television Holdings:
* ABC: includes 10 stations, 24% of US households.
* ABC Network News: Prime Time Live, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America.
* ESPN, Lifetime Television (50%), as well as minority holdings in A&E, History Channel and E!
* Disney Channel/Disney Television, Touchtone Television.
Media Holdings:
* Miramax, Touchtone Pictures.
* Magazines: Jane, Los Angeles Magazine, W, Discover.
* 3 music labels, 11 major local newspapers.
* Hyperion book publishers.
* Infoseek Internet search engine (43%).
Other Holdings:
* Sid R. Bass (major shares) crude oil and gas.
* All Disney Theme Parks, Walt Disney Cruise Lines.


http://la.indymedia.org/news/2003/04/47530_comment.php#194875

[Decker]

Newsweek's Isikoff and Hosenball, two professional journalists who know better, actually reported the following: "The tapes are believed to have included evidence of waterboarding and other interrogation methods that Bush administration critics have described as torture."

This notion that it is somehow only disgruntled "Bush administration critics" that consider waterboarding to be torture is a misrepresentation of fact and reality. Waterboarding is, according to common interpretation of the Geneva Conventions, torture ... its definition has nothing to do with "critics". The Bush administration, Isikoff, Hosenball, and Newsweek ALL know that waterboarding is torture. They ALL know this because the United States has convicted people of torture, who have practiced waterboarding on suspects. http://www.progressivedailybeacon.com/more.php?page=opinion&id=1776


See, there is an actual and honest controversy about waterboarding?  NO THERE ISN'T.  It's always been torture.  See how the corporate media shapes perspective.  How subtle.

Create a deceptive controversy where there is none and have it play to political prejudice. 

That's a recipe for controlling the masses turning them into unresponsive, uncritical mass consumers.

[Dos Equis]

Wow, damning indeed. 

I just wonder how the American public would view the success of the Surge if it knew that the US is still killing hundreds of Iraqis a month?

AP:  Threat Forces Flight to Land in Omaha

CNN:  'Web of miracles' join soldier, disabled Iraqi boy

FOX:  Huckabee: No Apologies for Christmas 'Cross' Ad

That does look like an intentional liberal bias in the media.  I'm not sure how but maybe you are right?

What a coup!  Right wing corporate ownership of the media lets the peon workers run the show. 

How socialist of them.

Fox is owned by a conglomerate headed up by Rupert Murdoch--a lifelong right winger with dominating right wing political influence through his media holdings first in Australia and then America. 

I guess all the death and misery caused by Bush and his invasion/surge should share equal time with the positive killings we are doing over there in Iraq?


Some other right wing accomplices in our right wing media:

GENERAL ELECTRIC --(donated 1.1 million to GW Bush for his 2000 election campaign & Big Defense Contractor)

Television Holdings:
* NBC: includes 13 stations, 28% of US households.
* NBC Network News: The Today Show, Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Meet the Press, Dateline NBC, NBC News at Sunrise.
* CNBC business television; MSNBC 24-hour cable and Internet news service (co-owned by NBC and Microsoft); Court TV (co-owned with Time Warner), Bravo (50%), A&E (25%), History Channel (25%).
The "MS" in MSNBC
means microsoft
The same Microsoft that donated 2.4 million to get GW bush elected.


WESTINGHOUSE / CBS INC. (A Big Defense Contractor)
Westinghouse Electric Company, part of the Nuclear Utilities Business Group of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL)
whos #1 on the Board of Directors? None other than:
Frank Carlucci (of the Carlyle Group)

Television Holdings:
* CBS: includes 14 stations and over 200 affiliates in the US.
* CBS Network News: 60 minutes, 48 hours, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, CBS Morning News, Up to the Minute.
* Country Music Television, The Nashville Network, 2 regional sports networks.
* Group W Satellite Communications.
Other Holdings:
* Westinghouse Electric Company: provides services to the nuclear power industry.
* Westinghouse Government Environmental Services Company: disposes of nuclear and hazardous wastes. Also operates 4 government-owned nuclear power plants in the US.
* Energy Systems: provides nuclear power plant design and maintenance.


DISNEY / ABC / CAP (donated 640 thousand to GW's 2000 campaign and big defense contractor)
Television Holdings:
* ABC: includes 10 stations, 24% of US households.
* ABC Network News: Prime Time Live, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America.
* ESPN, Lifetime Television (50%), as well as minority holdings in A&E, History Channel and E!
* Disney Channel/Disney Television, Touchtone Television.
Media Holdings:
* Miramax, Touchtone Pictures.
* Magazines: Jane, Los Angeles Magazine, W, Discover.
* 3 music labels, 11 major local newspapers.
* Hyperion book publishers.
* Infoseek Internet search engine (43%).
Other Holdings:
* Sid R. Bass (major shares) crude oil and gas.
* All Disney Theme Parks, Walt Disney Cruise Lines.


http://la.indymedia.org/news/2003/04/47530_comment.php#194875

Yes, it is.  Just another example.  This is a pattern.  It is most often subtle.  Some are just blatant.