MILESTONES AND THE MEDIA

Townhall.com ^ | 24 October 2008 | Andrew Roman

[andrew roman]

If not for milestones and anniversaries, I’m not quite sure how much is left for today’s reporter to report. And if not to serve as the veritable conscience of society, then what, pray tell, would his or her purpose be? I suppose that to suggest a reporter’s function is to actually disseminate what is going on is to refute his or her greater role in society – something more than a mere observer, collector and teller of news. Thanks, in part, to the guiding light cast from the Watergate template, those who once simply reported on events now aspire to right the world’s ills, expose its injustices and stand as self-proclaimed overseers and scorekeepers of all that go on.

Of course, all of that is conditional on whether or not the event being commemorated passes muster with those on high in the main-stream-media. If the anniversary celebrates a positive aspect of something that is otherwise overwhelmingly ostracized by the main-stream-media – such as the war in Iraq – you can bet it will go unseen.

I wonder how many know that tomorrow, October 25th, is the three year anniversary of the official approval of the Iraqi Constitution.

After tomorrow, how many more will know that it was?

If modern journalism were a living entity, it would almost contradict Darwin’s theory of natural selection. It is questionable how such an organism in its present form can continue to survive – and yet, it does somehow.

Three years ago, when the story was new, in what some had recognized as one of the greatest events in modern history – that being the democratically adopted Constitution of the formerly despotic nation of Iraq – there was barely a butterfly’s eye-lash of a whisper about it on front pages anywhere in this country. This profound and monumental story with international ramifications was relegated to be buried beyond the latest “Tom Cruise and his new bride” diatribes by editors who continually note and criticize the American-centric nature of our collective attention spans. A most relevant cog in the wheel of war against Islamo-Fascist terrorism was all but a footnote.

Yet, going back to the same time period, how many recall the media frenzy – the nearly pathetic orgasmic unison – with which newsrooms across the map commemorated the 2,000th American military casualty in Iraq? (In the spirit of remembrance, this coming Sunday will actually be the three-year anniversary of that grisly “benchmark”) I wonder how many truly remember how obsessive the media were about that number. It was almost “Y-2-K-ish” for a period of time – although I’m surprised some creative young newshound somewhere didn’t come up with the phrase “I-2-K”.

Living in New York City, I recall that the Daily News, New York Post and Newsday each had full front page spreads letting us know that the grizzly new landmark had been reached - this following several weeks of television reports and newspaper articles reminding us of how the death toll in Iraq was approaching two-thousand. It had a strange “Guess how much the Power Ball jackpot is up to now?” kind of feel to it. Once the big board hit the magic number, it was everywhere, right on cue, complete with morose photographs, pointed criticisms of evil Republican diktats and Cindy Sheehan references.

Sadly, the 2K death toll story wasn’t meant to serve as a tribute to fallen heroes who gallantly sacrificed their lives for this nation. It became the story it did because the words “two thousand” had a more lyrical quality and smoother timbre than, say, “one-thousand eight-hundred, forty two.”

It rolled off the tongue better.

Try it. You’ll see.

Underlying all of this is the fact that reporting the breathtaking transformations and successes that have taken place in Iraq since the adoption of the Iraqi Constitution, coupled with the magnificent achievement of “the surge,” would be tantamount to admitting triumphs for the lame duck George W. Bush and his administration … and that is something that absolutely cannot be allowed to happen with the Obamunists eyeing the White House. (Bush would never be given credit anyway).

Thus, I’d like to take a moment to commemorate the three year anniversary of the Iraqi Constitution – a tribute to those who sacrificed that it would come to be, and those who continue to sacrifice so that it will continue to stand - all in the name of a safer and strong United States.

[phillyfanatic]

God Bless our military, the Surge, and Iraqui bravery for standing up to Al Queda, the jihadists, Iran, their own absurd leadership and the MSM here in America. I pray that they will keep free when the socialist pacifist Messiah is elected President. If not, he will have to answer to the real Messiah.