Article

2006-03-27 -Short Attention Span Theater-

After Bush's speech including the media coverage, The Post and the Whole Picture in Iraq

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Posted by Sherry 2006-03-27 15:05|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 One reader wrote a Post reporter a few weeks ago: "Be nice to see your traitorous ass shot."

That's totally inappropriate. The reader should have said, "Be nice to see your traitorous ass tried and shot." This is a nation of laws, for gosh sakes.

Posted by Matt 2006-03-27 16:39|| 2006-03-27 16:39|| Front Page Top

#2 "The press corps is trained to see the story,..."

Oh, bullshit. The press corp is trained to write propaganda for the Democratic Party, not to see or report the story.

Posted by Dave D.">Dave D. 2006-03-27 18:09|| 2006-03-27 18:09|| Front Page Top

#3 It's not an agenda if you think everyone believes it. Shows again how arrogant and out-of-touch journos can be. Easiest major in college after PE

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-03-27 19:13|| 2006-03-27 19:13|| Front Page Top

#4 these two WAPO c*ck su*kers, Jonathan Finer and Doug Struck, tried to smear Bill Roggio with the "paid Mil blogger" lies.

The Pentagon also is reaching out to bloggers writing about the military. Pro-war blogger Bill Roggio was invited late last year to embed with the Marines, and a story in The Post quoting him brought about 100 critical e-mails generated off Roggio's blog, http://www.billroggio.com/ . Roggio was mentioned in the lead paragraph of a Dec. 26 story by Jonathan Finer and Doug Struck, then doing a rotation in Iraq, on the military's efforts to get its story told favorably. Finer and Struck also wrote about the military's controversial Information Operations program, where Iraqi news media are asked to do stories that focus on efforts to help Iraqis' quality of life and to counter insurgents' attempts to influence coverage. Those stories are often backed up by cash payments.

Roggio was furious that he was mentioned in the same story with journalists paid to write favorable pieces. He said it looked like "I must be part of a nefarious scheme by the military to influence the perceptions on Iraq. All they did was extend an invite that is no different than extending an invite to any reporter. I was invited on my merit. I felt I earned the right to be embedded. I took the risk of leaving my family and job and financing this with donations. Then to see it put in this light, I felt very wronged."

Finer and Hoffman said any close reading of the story would have told readers that Roggio was not paid by the military. That is correct, but a more expansive explanation of the difference between the two programs would have been helpful.

Roggio embedded under the a Pentagon public affairs program that deals with the news media and runs military Web sites. Information Operations, on the other hand, is basically meant to influence coverage. The issue of blurred lines between the two has been raised both by the military and the press.

Lapan arranged Roggio's embed near Fallujah. In Lapan's view: "We have invited bloggers . . . to embed in an effort to tell the story. Bloggers, in my mind, are just another means to communicate accurate, truthful information about what we do. These are not Information Operations any more than embedding a reporter from The Post or the New York Times is."

"The crux of the matter: Public affairs . . . is meant to inform the public. Information Operations is meant to influence our adversary and local populations. PA is primarily directed at American audiences. IO is primarily directed at enemy and supporting foreign publics. By law, IO is not to be directed at the American people. The purpose of IO is to influence; the purpose of PA is to inform," Lapan said.

Finer, in an e-mail, said: "The decision to embed Bill Roggio, a widely read military blogger whose views on the war are well known, came at a time when the military was increasingly expressing frustration with coverage they were receiving in the mainstream media. It also came amid the revelation of efforts to influence coverage in the Iraqi press by paying journalists to publish favorable stories. The story sought only to document what appeared to be a growing effort on the part of the military, and the insurgency, to control the dissemination of information from Iraq. Incidentally, the military, as well as independent analysts, seemed to agree the war over information was picking up on both sides and the Marines I spoke with did not object to the portrayal of Roggio as part of that effort."

donated $200 myself..

Posted by RD 2006-03-27 20:11|| 2006-03-27 20:11|| Front Page Top

#5 "There is a built-in tension between the press, always skeptical of authority, and the military culture of respecting authority and keeping secrets."
Allow me to suggest a press that is skeptical AND respectful. That would be a nice change. Allow me to also suggest that the secrets should not be the story -- the traitorous leakers who are pedaling them should be the story.

Actually, Frank, I suspect that journalism is an easier major than PE for those who enter college with basic writing skills. Every day I read news stories that my high school journalism teacher would have torn apart for shoddy content and poor organization -- and I'm talking about the bigtime MSM. And the editors just pass it along. Apparently an editor today is just a former journalist who operates a spell checker.

Posted by Darrell 2006-03-27 20:19|| 2006-03-27 20:19|| Front Page Top

#6 The free press is an extension of freedom of speech. Since the MSM piss us off, I consider it my duty to smear them at every oportunity. I focus my freedom of speech directly against them, personally. If they don't like it, they can cry.
The MSM have caused massive problems in America for which they will never be forgiven.

Posted by wxjames 2006-03-27 21:38|| 2006-03-27 21:38|| Front Page Top

#7 in America
And elsewhere...

for which they will never be forgiven
But since they never will be held accountable as well, to them it's no big deal... only answer is to stop believing them, and pay them no attention anymore past bare minimum keeping-in-touch with actuality and local news.

Posted by anonymous5089 2006-03-27 21:50|| 2006-03-27 21:50|| Front Page Top

#8 Crap like this article is one of the prime reasons for declining circulation and influence by newspapers like the Post and the NYT. The report whatever they want and if they can't find what they want, they just make it up. Pompous, punctilious, supercilious, vacuous c*cks*ck*rs.

Posted by Hupeater Flith2113 2006-03-27 22:37|| 2006-03-27 22:37|| Front Page Top

23:31 Frank G
23:25 Seafarious
23:10 Tibor
22:58 JosephMendiola
22:47 JosephMendiola
22:40 JosephMendiola
22:37 Hupeater Flith2113
22:30 JosephMendiola
22:22 gromgoru
22:15 JosephMendiola
22:07 JosephMendiola
22:05 JosephMendiola
22:01 twobyfour
21:54 anonymous5089
21:50 anonymous5089
21:49 wxjames
21:38 wxjames
21:25 Listen to Dogs
21:21 wxjames
21:19 Robert Crawford
21:09 wxjames
20:59 Frank G
20:58 Whiskey Mike
20:53 Frank G