Have the Mainstream Media Ignored Our Heroes?

Then why did it take my prompting for you to admit there indeed were good stories over there? And that it wasn't all bad?

You have to hunt high and low to find the good stories, the few that there are. The bad ones, they're in your face 24/7. And it's certainly made to seem like there are more bad ones than good ones. Is that a fair appraisal? Do the bad stories outnumber the good by this much?

Why is it, when you see a headline like "Three Marines killed in Iraq," that it's never put in context? What mission were they on? What were they trying to do? Was it part of a larger operation? How many of the enemy were killed in the same incident? If that information isn't there, the reporting is either slipshod or biased. Or maybe both.

If you can't see that the enemy is using media in this country to manipulate public opinion against the war, then you might prove you're an idiot. Al-Zarqawi basically admitted that's their strategy.

I'm not saying we should ignore the bad. But I'm afraid we're falling into the "useful idiots" category with our zeal to point out all the troubles without pointing out the good works we've done. People can't just assume those good works are taking place. There's a bit more at stake in a war than a robbery or a fire, you must admit.

 

Good post.

I've not only read positive stories about the boys, I've written a few to add to the pile. Limbaugh and Hannity aren't sifting through those on their broadcasts every day, they're looking for the negative war stories to advance prescribed agendas of their own.

The reality is that, by and by, the events that have transpired in Iraq have not been good ones. So there is no happy twist to put on the pigmire. It's on par with someone complaining that you're not writing enough "positive stories" about a 4-9 football team.

 

War is hell, LJB. That's always been the case.

 

http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110008535

 

All I know is I've asked for links to the Jessica Lynch rescue and the secret CIA prisons but none have been offered.

Yet you would all accept them as truths

 

Don't forget you conveniently ignored Pat Tillman, too.

 

As far as getting the good stories ... There may be a reason why right-leaning media are too busy trying to spin and pooh-pooh the bad news rather than going out and getting their own good news.

It may simply be the fact that Iraq is a very dangerous country, and that makes it too risky for Western reporters to leave the Green Zone safely. The "five o'clock follies" have to suffice.

Yes, there are relatively peaceful places in Iraq in the far north and far south, and I am sure there are schools being built, etc. But you have to go through a gantlet to get to these places from Baghdad.

Would you want to die for a feel-good story?

 

Some media outlets have but others have done a fabulous job of bring attention to herores. NBC/ MSNBC has been one of those.

Last week they did a 2 hour Dateline special called "Rescue At Roberts Ridge" which dealt with rescue of surviving members of Chinook Helecopter crew that was shot down on during Operation Anaconda in mountains of Afganistan.

Amazing story of heroism by many including a West Point Grad - ranger Nate Self who lead rescue team.

Here is a link to story - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13154349/

There is also a book on same called - Not a Good Day to Die.

Being one who seeks out hero stories, I think they are there but just may take a little more time to get some of these complex details out.

Most of the great hero stories tend to be more suited for books - for example Black Hawk Down or Thunder Run.

 

You should be able to find it here:

www.pulitzer.org

 

Oops.
That's Richard Dent there, and Tony Eason's seems to be in a bit of trouble.

UPDATE -- It's nice to see old Cap Weinberger, Harvard-educated Iran-Contra bullshit artist, back in the mix, if only posthumously. Nice pardon you got there, Cap.

 

Mr. Merloni -

Quickly this morning, because I have better things to do, here's what you should do when confronted with the question of whether or not the MSM ignores our military heroes: ten minutes worth of research. Rather than swallow the premise whole, especially when it's being fed to you by people with an agenda - like selling books - look up some actual information.

The Weinberger/Hall piece you link to at the top of this thread (which does, L_B, cast aspersions on the patriotism of media members), singles out the New York Times as having ignored the story of Medal of Honor winner Paul Ray Smith. Here's the quote:

Even when Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the best the New York Times could muster was a story buried on page 13. A nation that ignores or worse attacks its heroes erodes and disparages its own ethos.

"Buried" is an unfortunate choice of words, I think, but the piece is so badly written and poorly conceived that it makes a kind of perverse sense. In any case, that Sgt. Smith was awarded, posthumously of course, the medal in a ceremony two days after the death of the pope, a fact which clearly determined the position of the story, is not mentioned.

Nor does the Weinberger/Hall piece take note of this:

http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F3081FF9345E0C708EDDA00894DB404482

It is a 2895-word story dated September 23, 2003, written by Steven Lee Myers. Headlined THE STRUGGLE FOR IRAQ: CASUALTIES; Medals for His Valor, Ashes for His Wife, it delineates Sgt. Smith's heroism in some detail. If you can't click through to it, I'll be happy to PM it to you.

Sadly, its existence undermines Weinberger/Hall's entire premise.

I call bullshit. QED.