Posted on 05/15/2005 9:07:53 PM PDT by Dark Wing
The clip below is from an Oct 10, 2001 MRC special section on terrorism:
Contrast Hoyt’s attitude to the one expressed by CBS’s Mike Wallace and ABC’s Peter Jennings during a 1989 forum on PBS. The two network stars agreed that if they were traveling with enemy troops and learned of an ambush planned to kill U.S. soldiers they would not provide any warning.
A reprint from the April 1989 MediaWatch, a monthly newsletter then-published by the MRC:
Peter Jennings and Mike Wallace Agree Reporters First, Americans Second
In a future war involving U.S. soldiers what would a TV reporter do if he learned the enemy troops with which he was traveling were about to launch a surprise attack on an American unit? That's just the question Harvard University professor Charles Ogletree Jr, as moderator of PBS' Ethics in America series, posed to ABC anchor Peter Jennings and 60 Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace. Both agreed getting ambush footage for the evening news would come before warning the U.S. troops.
For the March 7 installment on battlefield ethics Ogletree set up a theoretical war between the North Kosanese and the U.S.-supported South Kosanese. At first Jennings responded: "If I was with a North Kosanese unit that came upon Americans, I think I personally would do what I could to warn the Americans."
Wallace countered that other reporters, including himself, "would regard it simply as another story that they are there to cover." Jennings' position bewildered Wallace: "I'm a little bit of a loss to understand why, because you are an American, you would not have covered that story."
"Don't you have a higher duty as an American citizen to do all you can to save the lives of soldiers rather than this journalistic ethic of reporting fact?" Ogletree asked. Without hesitating Wallace responded: "No, you don't have higher duty... you're a reporter." This convinces Jennings, who concedes, "I think he's right too, I chickened out."
Ogletree turns to Brent Scrowcroft, now the National Security Adviser, who argues "you're Americans first, and you're journalists second." Wallace is mystified by the concept, wondering "what in the world is wrong with photographing this attack by North Kosanese on American soldiers?" Retired General William Westmoreland then points out that "it would be repugnant to the American listening public to see on film an ambush of an American platoon by our national enemy."
A few minutes later Ogletree notes the "venomous reaction" from George Connell, a Marine Corps Colonel. "I feel utter contempt. Two days later they're both walking off my hilltop, they're two hundred yards away and they get ambushed. And they're lying there wounded. And they're going to expect I'm going to send Marines up there to get them. They're just journalists, they're not Americans."
Wallace and Jennings agree, "it's a fair reaction." The discussion concludes as Connell says: "But I'll do it. And that's what makes me so contemptuous of them. And Marines will die, going to get a couple of journalists."
END Reprint
Let’s hope neither Wallace or Jennings are given an opportunity to travel with any enemy troops or cells.
Of couse, given the realities of main stream media corporate cheap skates, Marine Corps Colonel George Connell would not have to save a wounded American reporter with terrorist forces. American reporters are too expensive. American media companies use stories and video provided by media stringers who are terrrorists.
ping
Newsweek sucks out loud!!
Couldn't've said it better myself. The funny thing is if I DID say it, Wallace would've accused me of questioning his patriotism.
Libs are weird like that.
And they suck with dedication.
We've got them all wrong ...
They are LEFTISTS first, REPORTERS second, and AMERICANS in name only ...
-R
I don't think they understand that if they weren't Americans, they wouldn't BE reporters.
They'd be back in The Old Country defecating in the gutters and going through garbage cans for their food.
Treasonous @#$'s!! FYI to you.
In the twisted warped, mentally ill world of a leftist pig; their patriotism is defined by their ability to stand for nothing this country represents. I hope the "reporters" are proud of all the anti-US sentiment they helped stir up and of the people killed for no other reason than their bias and idiocy. They sure got their shots at the US though didn't they?
A few days ago when the story broke I heard someone on talk radio (might have been Tony Snow) say that the detainees were the ones stuffing the Koran down the toilets to cause plumbing clogs as a form of protest.
According to the report.....it was the Moslems themselves not our guys doing it.
And would someone explain to me why no one has rioted over the beheading of innocent civilians?
Not me, pal.
I wouldn't cross the street to piss on them if they were on fire.
Nor would I put troops in harm's way to help them.
I have seen lots of coverage of Iraq recently (even Operation Matador) that could only be captured by reporters who must be "embedded" with the terrorists.
Even if foreign journalists are obtaining the footage, American news organizations are legitimizing it by running it.
A camera is as deadly a weapon in counter-terrorism/counter-insurgency as a rifle.
Take away their cameras and send 'em home. Or better yet, line 'em up, and let Lindy England ride 'em doggie style.
Then again, maybe just f*** it, shoot 'em all.
These are business people much like the hookers in any Eurinal city, they do their work and get their pay.
It's an America-hating double-standard thing. There's no understanding it.
One word for these two.....Slime!
Outright evil.
And their participation in the industry cannot die quickly enough to suit me.
If Mike Wallace were a businessman, I guess his only duty would be to make a profit, so he would gladly sell nuclear technology to al Qaeda. He would be a businessman first.
No wonder Americans are rejecting the MSM in droves. They richly deserve it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.