Fears Impacted U.S. Reporting on Iraq

[wtmusic]

Competitive pressures and a fear of appearing unpatriotic discouraged journalists from doing more critical reporting during the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, according to reporters and others at a conference on media coverage of the war.

The journalists on the panels at the University of California at Berkeley this week blamed the Bush administration for leaking faulty information, but said the media also has itself to blame for not being more skeptical about the case for war.

"The press did not do their job," said Michael Massing, who wrote an article in the New York Review of Books that found The New York Times and The Washington Post particularly at fault.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=2&u=/ap/20040319/ap_on_re_us/media_war_coverage_2

And the best part:

"The reason we embedded so many journalists is that we wanted to dominate the information environment," (Lt. Col. Rick) Long said. "We wanted to beat any kind of disinformation or propaganda by beating them at their own game."

Ya-huh.

[Syrinx]

1. As the teenagers say...

Or did when I was one... Duh!

[alfredo]

2. i felt the junta was playing the media, and in some cases, the media

was a willing partner.


We need a free press.

[bvar22]

3. "Competitive pressures and a fear ...."

...kept the media from doing its job.

A great definition for COWARDICE

[PaDUer]

4. Remember all the reporters

who were "let go" in the beginning when the takeover was starting..It wouldn't surprise me if the reason was because they wouldn't and couldn't cooperate with the BS and lies they were being forced to do and report. And, as another saying goes--"money talks, BS walks". And from what's been taking place, don't be surprised to find out how many were bought-off..

[NormanConquest]

5. "You supply the pictures...

I'll supply the war." -- William Randolph Hearst

Some things haven't changed in 105 years.

[Columbia]

6. In my experience, the embedded journalists

Reported fair, honest, and accurate accounts in their stories.

I can't say anything about the major networks portrayal of the war, since I did not watch them.

[DisgustiPatriotiated]

7. Well no kidding

What is this - the one year out confessional today?

This and Dan Abrahms saying the war was wrong - I can't take it!

[maggrwaggr]

8. they're still not doing their job. What's their excuse now?

what are they afraid of now?

They are complicit in the downfall of democracy in this country. They are complicit in the illegal murder of thousands.

May they all roast in hell.