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| Has the media has dropped the ball? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 15 2004, 12:41 PM (133 Views) | |
| Dwayne | Aug 15 2004, 12:41 PM Post #1 |
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Profanity deleted by Hoss
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Commentator Lee Smith has a very insightful piece in Slate titled "The First Casualty" that examines the failings and problems with the media in covering America's effort in the Middle East. Mr. Smith starts by showing how the reporting of the Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan leak vacillated within a week between considering it a huge blunder to then seeing a bigger picture.
Mr. Smith uses these events to argue that U.S. intelligence is learning from past mistakes and that it is far more effective than is assumed by the media. And as a corollary, he argues that the media is not learning from its mistakes and is far less effective at reporting news than one may assume.
The article makes, what I feel are several salient points, and in order to move linearly in sync with the article, let me cite two paragraphs I believe makes an important point about strategic deception, but it's not the most important point.
The hard truth is, truth is the first casualty of war, but not for inconsequential reasons. Both tactical and strategic plans must be protected, and sometimes protected from even a nominal ally. To effectively wage war a nation cannot reveal the long term plans to an enemy who would simply adapt its own strategic plans to compensate. Even when an enemy knows what is happening, they shouldn't know the how, when and why. When a media demands a 'right to know' that how, when and why, the only choice available is to reveal important information or simply lie about it. To be effective and win, it is often necessary for a nations political leaders and military leaders to put on their best poker faces and then obfuscate to the media, the public and the world. This is not to argue that the Bush administration or the Clinton administration or the administrations of any other world power is or were purposely lying about Iraq's weapons, but it is an argument that the media, in an infantile notion that it has the right to know everything, must recognize it does not have that right. And as an out-growth of that, it may be told patently false information to deceive the enemy. I feel the most salient point made in the essay is found in this paragraph...
Not only does the media not place events in context, but they rely a great deal on incomplete information or inaccurate preceptions of how thing ought to be. The national and internation press agencies do not train reporters to report on war, but how to play 'gatcha' type games with the coalition forces in Iraq, George Bush and Tony Blair. After reading Lee Smith's essay, it's hard to reach a conclusion that the media is as smart or as fair and balanaced as they often make themselves out to be. |
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| Dwayne | Aug 15 2004, 09:30 PM Post #2 |
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Profanity deleted by Hoss
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Do the bump! Actually, I'm surprised no one has responded to this one. |
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| Wichita | Aug 15 2004, 09:46 PM Post #3 |
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The Adminstrator wRench
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I'm not surprised at all that no one has responded to it. With Olympics, hurricanes and the last days before summer, there has been very little activity on the board in general over the last few days. Let's not "read" anything into a lack of response on this or any topic and please don't repeatedly "bump" items to get them back to the top. |
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| Dwayne | Aug 20 2004, 06:04 PM Post #4 |
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Profanity deleted by Hoss
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Me thinks the media has dropped the ball. |
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| Minuet | Aug 20 2004, 08:04 PM Post #5 |
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Fleet Admiral Assistant wRench, Chief Supper Officer
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Administrative Response Dwayne you were clearly told by Wichita not to bump your topics. Next time you do it consider the thread closed. |
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| Dwayne | Aug 20 2004, 10:24 PM Post #6 |
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Profanity deleted by Hoss
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Yeah sure, but the media has dropped the ball. |
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| Minuet | Aug 21 2004, 09:53 AM Post #7 |
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Fleet Admiral Assistant wRench, Chief Supper Officer
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Bye bye
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3:23 AM Jul 11