Another Mainstream Media Catch-22 (Newsweek Scandal)

Granddaddy Long Legs ^ | May 16, 2005

[cchandler]

What to make of the recent controversy caused by Newsweek's May 9th story titled, 'Gitmo: SouthCom Showdown'?

Many journalists go into the field because they want to make a difference. I don't see any harm in that, as long as they limit themselves to bringing light to percolating and existing situations. For those journalists who are out to change the world, many can't seem to wait until situations exist. Their moral compass tells them that something is headed in the wrong direction and they take up the cause of preventing it. In their minds, the cause is worthwhile, regardless of what the facts say. If people disagree with the cause, it's only because they don't understand it. So naturally, more articles are needed to sway the public-at-large.

These self-described objective journalists start with an agenda - then set out to prove it on paper. This doesn't sound unethical until you realize that, in their minds, there is already a beginning to the story and an end. The only thing left to do is find some filler for the middle.

They've fanned the flames of anti-Americanism because it serves the cause of deligitimizing such an unjustified, unilateral war.

No one would doubt that the MSM has accentuated the negative throughout the course of the Iraq war. The old journalistic adage that, "if it bleeds, it leads," has never been more true. The American public has noticed, and they are increasingly turning away.....

[cchandler]

"I'll bet the farm on the mainstream media's credibility sinking even lower as they seriously entertain conspiracy theories that Jeff Gannon was the unnamed source of the Koran flushing confirmation. Or better yet, Karl Rove somehow engineered this story to distract from the bigger story of prisoner abuse and/or to hide Bush's sagging poll numbers on (insert issue). After all, the omniscient and omnipowerful Karl Rove is behind every single liberal setback of the past five years - and Bush's poll numbers on the war are sinking."

Who wants to take bets on how long it will be before the "Karl Rove is behind this" theory takes off?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I found how the World had been misled by prostitute Writers, to ascribe the greatest Exploits in War to Cowards, the wisest Counsel to Fools, Sincerity to Flatterers, Roman Virtue to Betrayers of their Country, Piety to Atheists, Chastity to Sodomites, Truth to Informers. (III:8;5)

Gulliver's Travels
by Jonathan Swift

[cchandler]

Great quote!