Michael Yon doesn't have an answer (HT to NewsBuster reader "acumen") as to why Old Media won't cover the Al Qaeda massacre of a small village near Baqubah, Iraq that he reported earlier this week (related NewsBusters posts are here and here):
Coordinates to the area of the gravesites are MC 679 381.
In my dispatch, I reported that six people were killed, but mentioned that Iraqi soldiers were still digging out bodies when I left. A few hours ago, Colonel Hiduit put the number at 10-14, and said the search for bodies had ended. I made video of the graves, bodies and of interviews with Iraqi and American soldiers while we still were at the scene and have been working to make material from this available on this website.
..... But for those publications who actually had people embedded in Baqubah when the story first broke and still failed to cover it, their malaise is inexplicable. I do not know why all failed to report the murders and booby-trapped village: apparently no reporters bothered to go out there, even though it’s only about 3.5 miles from this base. Any one of the reporters currently in Baqubah could still go to these coordinates and follow his or her nose and find the gravesites.
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Thus far, among major media outlets, only Fox News, which ran about half of Yon's dispatch and linked to it, has noted the report's existence. This search on "Baqubah" done at about 10 PM ET on July 4 confirms the non-coverage (link is to the second page of results; the first page of the Google News result erroneously indicates that there are 568 results when there are only 20).
Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds received Yon's answer in an e-mail from a person he describes as "a journalist whose name you'd recognize." Consider it the Old Media bias e-mail of the year until further notice:
Yon's story doesn't get attention because it is humiliating.
It is humiliating because it is obvious that we media – and our allies in the state department, the legal trade, the NGOs, the Democratic Party, the UN, etc., - can't do squat about such determined use of force.
Our words, images, arguments and skills can't stop the killing. Only the rough soldiers and their guns can solve the problem, and we won't admit that fact because the admission would weaken our influence and our claim to social status.
So we pretend Yon’s massacre – and the North Korean killing fields, the Arab treatment of women, the Arab hatred of Israel, etc. - doesn’t exist, and instead focus our emotions and attention on the somewhat-bad domestic things that we can 'fix' with our DC-based allies. Things such as Abu Ghraib, wiretapping, etc. When we 'fix' them, then we get status, applause, power, new jobs, ego, etc.
Please don’t be surprised. We media are an interest group not much different from the automakers, the unions, and the farmers.
Just once, I'd like to see Old Media types rounded up, like residents living near Holocaust sites after Germany was liberated in World War II, and forced to look at the kinds of things real reporters like Yon unearth. Reynolds' correspondent leaves the impression that they would still do the "la la la" thing -- but it would be worth it to demonstrate to the world just how far gone they really are.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters
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Zawahiri Auditions for CBS Walter Cronkite's Job
July 5, 2007 - 00:24 ET by Lame CherryThis propaganda is not just deception in the broadcast media around the world, but is influencing the Islamocommunist Zawahiri.
Just observe his latest rendition as it is EXACTLY a replica of CNN, CBS, NBC and ABC propaganda.
Zawahiri is suffering from Orwell Syndrome, a name I created as the mirror of Stockholm in where captives take on their terrorist manners.....but in this case Zawahiri like the Soviets is so enthralled with Americans he is auditioning to become the next Walter Cronkite.
The reason for Orwell Syndrome is in honor of Animal Farm in George Orwell in the infamous scene where pigs dressed up like humans as the animals watched from outside. (Americans have their own versions in the Clinton's to Chris Matthews who mimic Europeans socialists to Stalinists in wanting to be them.)
Zawahiri though is always going to be the ugly sister to the Binladenrella people are awaiting to see. Unless Zawahiri comes up with something to prove he is more than second string his efforts only castrate al Qaeda.
It is the oddest fishbowl of Islamocommunists to communists all looking to the west with fixations and the wide eyed Brian Williams, Katie Couric and other ilk are peering back trying to find comfort in some other French man's skin. All of these propagandists have built their "power" on something which is not there, but all of them from Zawahiri to Nance Pelosi are quoting from the same National Bolshevik script being run out of Putin's Russia.
We now have a name for the psychopathy in Orwell Syndrome, so when is someone going to start looking at why does every talking head sounds like he is reading talking points from the Russian FSB.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
We media are an interest gr
July 5, 2007 - 01:17 ET by Dave RWe media are an interest group not much different from the automakers, the unions, and the farmers.
An "interest group" that just may very well be leading civilized Western Society to its ultimate destruction at the hands of a group of semi-literate (at best) 7th Century barbarians.
Over the last week, we have witnessed several attempts by Muslim doctors in the UK to inflict death on innocent people, yet the world media (not just American) is falling all over itself trying to convince us that the Muslim murderers are nothing more than "dissafected youths."
The man who just assumed the Prime Minister's position in the UK, which is the center of gravity for modern, civilized society, cannot even bring himself to refer to these murderous scum as Islamic terrorists. What is worse, he has asked that the term "war on terror" not be used. This, despite the fact that his country is rapidly closing in on becoming a nation ruled by Sharia law, and other countries in Europe aren't far behind. Spain may very well get there before even the Brits.
Here in our own country, we have a media that goes out of its way to avoid pointing out that Muslims are at the center of most of the terror attacks that have happened here, particularly since 9/11. Admittedly, these attacks haven't amounted to much (so far), but that is small comfort to those who were injured, or to the families of those killed.
We have a major political party, with the full support of the MSM, going way out of its way to not only surrender to the illiterate barbarians, but to appease them as well, even though doing so would destroy whatever confidence in us that remains within our allies.
Western Society is essentially playing checkers against an enemy that is playing chess.
And we are, for the moment, getting our asses kicked.
Help Fred defeat the RINOs, along with the Hitllary-Obama Axis, & win the White House in '08.
The MSM kicks O'Reilly for
July 5, 2007 - 02:44 ET by mlongThe MSM kicks O'Reilly for criticizing them for reporting on all the attacks on troops in Iraq by saying it's news even tough it only helps the enemy.....this story doesn't help the enemy so it doesn't get reported...so what are we suppose to draw from that?
MSM doesnt care.They are just
July 5, 2007 - 03:41 ET by well99MSM doesnt care.They are just Iraqis.The fact they were massacred doesnt matter.Now if they had panties over there head it would be different.It really makes me angry that those sewer sucking punks in msm dont let folks know about these people slaughtered by Al Qaeda.
I read Yon's report and they were just farmers.People just like you and me but because of msm's political agenda they werent worth reporting.
That reporter's argument isn'
July 5, 2007 - 04:41 ET by KC MulvilleThat reporter's argument isn't really true. If the media told the truth, it would propel the public to a greater support for the war. It isn't that they're powerless, it's that they don't want to use their power in the direction where the truth would actually lead.
The cardinal rule of capitalism is "let the buyer beware." We are news consumers, and the same rules apply. For too long, the mainstream media has tried to portray their product as a public service, and therefore to be trusted implicitly. If that well-known reporter admits that he's selling a product, maybe there's some hope. Maybe the media will stop trying to demand our trust, and start earning it.
That reporter's argument isn'
July 5, 2007 - 16:06 ET by drillanwrThat reporter's argument isn't really true. If the media told the truth, it would propel the public to a greater support for the war. It isn't that they're powerless, it's that they don't want to use their power in the direction where the truth would actually lead.
Yon's ugly story isn't the only one out there since the war began. Our troops found mass graves, torture rooms (which they still continue to find every time they go into another terrorist stronghold village or city) ... And above that, there are stories of bravery in the face of terror and death in the Iraqis who are growingly NOT putting up with terrorist crap anymore, and turning them in ... or even killing them themselves. But all we hear in the media and from the democrats is that the Iraqis won't help themselves. I believe our military (many on third tours) have more patience and understanding for these people and their wounded mental state then those here at home who make a fine business and political play out of grinding them under the heel of their political agendas.
The biggest hurdle in Iraq, I
July 5, 2007 - 19:35 ET by KC MulvilleThe biggest hurdle in Iraq, I'm convinced, is breaking the psychological cycle of a battered people. I don't know if battered-wife syndrome has a national equivalent, but it sure seems that way. People who've been hammered for years under a dictator, and then find themselves ducking while various factions shoot at each other, behave in a predictable way. They don't stick their neck out for nobody. (As soon as I heard Cheney say that we'll be greeted as liberators, it made me cringe. Defeated people don't react that way. They keep their head down at all costs.)
That's why the media's relentless negativity is so harmful. The job is tough enough without the media making it infinitely worse.
(As soon as I heard Cheney sa
July 5, 2007 - 20:48 ET by drillanwr(As soon as I heard Cheney say that we'll be greeted as liberators, it made me cringe. Defeated people don't react that way. They keep their head down at all costs.)
How surprised should we have been, after abandoning them to Saddam in the first Gulf War?
Living in La-La-Land
July 5, 2007 - 07:18 ET by Ole_Sarge"Just once, I'd like to see Old Media types rounded up, like residents
living near Holocaust sites after Germany was liberated in World War
II, and forced to look at the kinds of things real reporters like Yon
unearth. Reynolds' correspondent leaves the impression that they would
still do the "la la la" thing -- but it would be worth it to
demonstrate to the world just how far gone they really are."
But it will never happen, as much as I would love to see it too.
I love that idea! Reporters
July 6, 2007 - 00:16 ET by gordonI love that idea! Reporters trudging through the sand and the heat, lining up at the burial site to gag as soldiers pull corpses from the hole. We may have to reincarnate George Patton in order to get this done, but I'm all for it! That is just about the only thing left to do that might turn these people from the Dark Side.
"Our words, images, ar
July 5, 2007 - 07:22 ET by rhodydroo"Our words, images, arguments and skills can't stop the killing. Only
the rough soldiers and their guns can solve the problem, and we won't
admit that fact because the admission would weaken our influence and
our claim to social status."
Correct, only the soldiers can stop the killing. If they really wanted to do something, they would use their influece to promote a better view of what is happening on the ground instead of just touting the number of our soldiers killed. Show these pictures and the American public will get angry and want these attrocities stopped.
Instead, they continue to show us how awful this war is and try to turn the public against it. Is this their idea of how to "fix" it? And when did it become the media's job to fix things? Funny, I thought they were supposed to report the news, not make it.
For anyone who doubts that there is bias in the media, here is the proof.
I'm desperately curious abo
July 5, 2007 - 07:58 ET by sarcasmoI'm desperately curious about that name...And I can't even come up with a good guess! It doesn't really sound like any media person out there that we'd know.
JMR
On that point we agree - if i
July 5, 2007 - 09:52 ET by FastEdOn that point we agree - if it were sombody that "we" would recognize, it would point out the bias and agenda, of the cowards who call themselves "journalists". To be fair though - very little exposure is being given to the story, even your fav - FauxNews - and that is the sad part, for them and us.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
I wonder if we can get more
July 5, 2007 - 10:05 ET by sarcasmoI wonder if we can get more hints on who it is from Mr. Yon? Chances are good that others here are in touch with him, but I suppose revealing this name would have some consequences beyond our little community. Oh well... Maybe it's Horendo? ;)
JMR
Let's go a different route -
July 5, 2007 - 10:19 ET by FastEdLet's go a different route - who isn't the writer? - can't be anyone from the usual msm (Lsm) suspects, nor from the slanted major papers - goes against the agenda. And if it happens to be an honest journalist - they'd be our of work real soon - (wonder if it's someone from the masthead - preaching to the choir, maybe?)
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
Well, our clue is someone G
July 5, 2007 - 10:23 ET by sarcasmoWell, our clue is someone Glenn Reynolds would know. Whether or not that rules in or out the masthead here, I can't even guess. But I'd think it's probably someone we've seen on TV. Maybe not Horendo, though! And I've been misreading, it's actually Glenn Reynolds who knows, right? I'm not sure....
JMR
Would that make him an "
July 5, 2007 - 10:32 ET by FastEdWould that make him an "honest lawyer"? Kinda goes against the grain for me. [not that it can't be true, mind you, but . . honest . . . lawyer - same sentence?]
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
IIRC he might even be a law
July 5, 2007 - 10:42 ET by sarcasmoIIRC he might even be a law professor (think "even less likely to be honest!") but his blog is justly famous anyway. :)
JMR
". . less likely" -
July 5, 2007 - 10:53 ET by FastEd". . less likely" - got me to chuckle - at least he doesn't write in legalese.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
Mr. Yon's report should be fr
July 5, 2007 - 08:42 ET by rimskyMr. Yon's report should be front and center so that all Americans, and all freedom loving people in the world can see the true evil that is Al Qaeda. The fact that ONLY Fox picked up this story is a testament to the anti-American bias of all the major networks. It's shameful!
Newsbusters TCB
July 5, 2007 - 13:03 ET by acumenMr. Yon's report should be front and center so that all Americans, and all freedom loving people in the world can see the true evil that is Al Qaeda.
I would suggest emailing Michael Yon's follow-up report to everyone you know. First, others might be reminded of the true face of al qaeda in Iraq and the brutality Iraqi civilians witness everyday which is why many Iraqis are reluctant to publicly demonstrate the support that they are privately providing Coalition Forces and the Iraq Government. Second, that others might see undeniable proof that the demedia is complicit by not reporting the inhumanity of Islamic Jihadists in Iraq - in affect only reporting one half of the war.
All Newsbusters can take some comfort in knowing that you are doing your part to accomplish Rimsky's desire to "put this report front and center". The following is an excerpt from Michael Yon's follow-up article linked above in Tom's post (Tom is obviously too humble to include):
"On this question of media selectivity, the blogosphere has become incensed that big media mostly ignored the murders, especially given that there are reporters currently in Baqubah. Newsbusters and countless others are on it."
Where's the Senator Joe McCar
July 5, 2007 - 09:00 ET by Mica the MagnificentWhere's the Senator Joe McCarthy-types today?
How about holding a congressional hearing concerning the members of the press?
Call in Olberman, Couric and crowd. Ask them point blank, "Have you now or have you ever given aid and comfort to the enemy?"
And when they deny, deny, deny . . . ROLL THE VIDEO TAPE!
Pull the licenses to their networks, and have their local affiliate stations run reruns of "Frazier' until the war on terror ends.
High Five! High five for Allah! - Islamofascists celebrating Harry Reid's 'war is lost' proclamation
Ah yes ... Sinator Hairy Reed
July 5, 2007 - 12:34 ET by josephsamuelsonAh yes ... Sinator Hairy Reed ... model of 21st century pharisaical finger-wagging ... Osama Bin Laden's personal ambassador to the United States ... Al-Queda's true number 2 ... leader of islamofascism's Fifth Column here in the U.S. ...
First, a personal Political
July 5, 2007 - 10:57 ET by BacchusFirst, a personal Politically Correct moment: As a child I was
taught to try and get along with everyone, don't fight. I was taught to
respect girls too, don't hit them. Well, that worked well until a girl
classmate figured out that she could harrass me and get away with it.
And that worked until I smacked her a good one. Just once and with
passion. She got the message and we got along a lot better after that.
So much for Political Correctness.
Our Islamist friends have mistaken our Political Correctness for weakness.
They're getting smacked now for attacking us, for constantly trying
to exploit what they perceived to be our weakness.
Clinton's cruise missiles lobbed at empty
tents in the desert and at the aspirin factory failed miserably in
delivering that message. A much larger response was called for after
9/11.
It's perfectly understandable how some people don't like war, who
really does, but it's sad that some of these people would then choose
to help our enemies. That won't end the fighting any quicker, it just
makes things worse. Half of the battle involves defeating a harmful
ideology, changing their thoughts. Don't feed it!
Much of the press has been acting like bookies taking bets on the outcome.
But it's not a game. They seem oblivious to the real stakes,
which is preserving our way of life. We're fighting this war to get
things back to normal, yet most are reporting it as though we're all
going to hell.
Well, isn't that special? Their "influence and claim to social
status" comes before their country. They should be humiliated if that's
what they really think. What would be so wrong with being responsible
citizens first and doing what's right for no special social status? Their goal
isn't to win extra senate seats too. Is it?
Micheal Yon deserves better. The troops deserve better. We all deserve better.
If the LSM reported the truth
July 5, 2007 - 12:24 ET by josephsamuelsonIf the LSM reported the truth in Iraq that would generate support for the war ... and we can't have that now, can we?
PS : LSM = leftstream media ... or, to really hit the mark, LSD ... leftstream dumba__es ... or ... KKK - Kucinich Kook Klingons ... AAA - Allied Atheist Alliance ... UAL - Unified Atheist League ... UAA - United Atheist Alliance ... and the list could go on.