"It's not merely despicable, it's transparent," a top conservative blogger fumed of the Washington Post's slanted treatment of Iraq war coverage.:
How they can even continue posturing as neutral fact-finders presenting the news without favor or prejudice is beyond me. Do they not even understand they are lying to claim this posture? Or does it simply not even matter to them anymore?
The FT reports that all violent deaths are down by half in Iraq just from last month (and the long-term trendline is even more dramatic), and yet the WaPo feels its front-page coverage should be all about a recent bombing and trumped-up charges against Blackwater.
They always claim that there are "neutral" principles that determine newsworthiness. One of these principles is the "watershed" element -- different news is more newsworthy than more of the same simply because it is new news and not the continuation of the same old news. The MSM justified its wall-to-wall coverage of the initial insurgent attacks because they were a contrast -- a change in storyline -- over the previous one of an easy, quick, relatively low-casualty victory over Saddam's regime.
Bloger Ace of Ace of Spades HQ was referring to the Post's multi-part front-page series on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) entitled "Left of Boom: The Struggle to Defeat Roadside Bombs."
Ace went on to note that the "watershed" news principle "seems neatly disregarded whenever the storyline changes to a more optimistic take in Iraq."
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
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Blackwater
October 3, 2007 - 11:49 ET by ThisnThatA congress woman from Ackron OH gave a long-winded speach on the floor of Congress this morning denouncing Blackwater's rampant killing spree, stating that "every single time a shot was fired, Blackwater took the first shot" -- thereby painting the security firm as an out-of-control, murderous band of thugs. She offered no proof, mind you, nor did she take the time to describe even one of the circumstances so we can form our own opinion based upon facts.
Is this what the people voted for in 2006? Are we going to make the same mistake in 2008? I hope not, for the country's sake.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
More IEDs
October 3, 2007 - 11:51 ET by ammo johnI think more about IED should be brought to the public's attention. IED- Ignorant Editor Disease: rampant among NYT, Boston Globe, Wash. Post, etc.
WaPoPo
October 3, 2007 - 12:51 ET by GoodieReid, Durbin, Shumer, Boxer, Kerry, etc.....all saying the "Surge is not working". WaPoPo has always put the good news in the back page, if at all. Now, it is Blackwater, what next? Tribal misconduct, disfunctional families torn by the US Military. The fact that WaPoPo buries the good news along with the "Switching" of subjects ie "Blackwater" validates that the Suge IS working. This is bad news for Dems and the MSM. I question the timing it is all Bush's fault.
Ken S....your job is at Stake now
October 3, 2007 - 14:46 ET by JayTeeKen,
You're gonna hafta find a new job beside auditing the Media........soon.
With these Rush lies and mis-quotes, and all the piling on by the MSM, pretty soon nobody's is going to be paying them any attention.....buying their newsprint...watching their TV news....
After Victory in Iraq is realized ......as it suddenly appears as a surprise after not being Reported (until the last possible un-deniable moment), ... Americans are going to eliminate the MSM....
The New media will be depending upon a single blogger, connected to an Iraq Veteran, connect to the WWW, for someone who was "There" when the newsworthy event happened, and this single person without an "Agenda" makes a Web based comment 6 hours before the 5 O'clock news gets a hint of what happened, and the Truth is halfway around the world before the MSM lies can be video taped the next day after a "news event" has transpired...
Suddenly, no one will be watching..reading...advertising...listening to the Senators and Candidates....they will already have heard from the Farmer in Iowa who was there, the soldier in Iraq that saw/lived what happened, the Citizen in the crowd who was part of it, and the talking heads on TV will look like a distant observer who hasn't quite caught up with the news cycle.
Meanwhile....Ken, keep on keeping on....you gotta another few years before Katie Couric retires to the NFL Sidelines.
What good is a Free Press, if it is a False Press ? David Foote GoE