Free Republic

Call it "three green suitcase" journalism. Let's say a feature writer thinks green luggage is becoming popular. So the reporter taps out a story citing three people in different states who have given up black suitcases and bought green ones. The second paragraph begins: "All across America, people are switching to green suitcases." This creates a media trend that might be real, but is probably bogus and certainly isn't established by three sales. The uproar over President Bush's 9/11 ads was a classic three-green-suitcase story. The New York Daily News broke the story on March 4th, with a huge headline:...

This week, the media will converge on ground zero, ready to milk the anniversary of 9-11. While the Bush administration claims to be acting on behalf of all Americans hurt by the attacks, a small but steadfast group of relatives of those killed on 9-11 continues to oppose the wars of retaliation being fought in their name. In simple, moving prose, writer David Potorti, who lost a brother at the World Trade Center, tells how this group of 80 grieving strangers came together as Peaceful Tomorrows, bound by the conviction that the deaths of their loved ones should not be...