Is the Media to Blame for the Public’s Negative Feelings Toward the Iraq War?

This week Ward talks to Bob Timberg, Vietnam-era Marine, noted journalist, and editor of Proceedings magazine, about how the press has covered the war.”

Comments

[Robert Pettis]

Bob Timberg talks about how the media cannot tell the same story over and over again, yet he does not acknowledge that the Media in fact does so, i.e. Abu Grab. The media in its concentration on carnage does tell the same story over and over, the only difference being the location and body count. Perhaps they could attempt to balance the carnage with a weekly summary of good news. They forget that bad news is all of the news to be reported. he says that the media lossing us Veitnam is crap. Personnally, I think his opinion is crap! I grew up listening every night about the latest body counts and how we were lossing the "Flower" of American youth. If he thinks that those broadcasts did not have more influance against the Veitnam War than the "stupid decession of the politicians", then he needs to take a course or two in group psychology! The broadcast media made it almost an impossibility to support the government in that war. And now they are attempting to do the same thing all over again in the name of "searching for a good story." Those are his words and his rationail. If it takes undermining the government to produce a good story, then what were the WW2 correspondence doing? Didn't they provide their papers and radio "good" stories? Bob Timberg is as full of crap as they come!

[Ward]

Robert:

Most of what Bob was speaking to is the notion that the MSM is on some kind of strategic and protracted mission to undermine the U.S. government. To suggest they are is to give them a lot of credit for organization and a cohesive plan. Most of the newsrooms I've been around are complete chaos.

[Joseph L Keller Sr]

I do believe the Media is responsable for alot of the confusion over the war in Iraq. Heard this before, Just like in V.Nam. The Media lost that war with there continious reports on death tolls and killings of civilians. What the??. War is a hell. We want people to understand war and the disaster it causes, but heck we are all Americans and fighting for a cause and to have the Media fighting you every step of the way just makes it worse trying to do our job and yes it is a job, it is what we signed on the dotted line for to serve our country in time of war. Most got lucky and never saw war, others were not. It started in V.Nam when the Media felt it was there right to report on death and distruction, it just gave the people of this Nation a bad taste for how many years? Yes there is always a story to be told, but not by the Media, that should be off base till the time to tell, just like WW 1 and WW 2. The Media speculates and fills in were there is no answer, because there is not a question yet. A good example is the recent Bridge collasp, CNN possible terroist involvement, That was bull, you plant the seed of deception. You do not make things better you make them worse. You deceive in every way just to get on the news and get more time chaulked up for your Stations. Shame on you. When at first you pratice to deceive, you have to keep the untruth going.

J.Keller Death from above

[Paul]

I was a little surprised that this accomplished journalist felt the need to differentiate between the "press" and "pundits," and finds the term 'media' unpleasant. Why? For most Americans, the media represents everything from the reporter in the field to the prime time anchor, regardless of what it says in the Constitution. While reporters do report from dangerous places and situations throughout the world, it has been apparent to me that while unbiased reporting may happen occasionally, many in the press appear to be driven by their own professional aspirations, and are quick to ‘spin’ the facts for their own personal gain. What is missing in the reporting or discussion about the War in Terror by today’s media, is what will be the consequence to the Iraqi people, the region or the security of Americans in 10 to 20 years, should the US bail out. Who in the press has asked that question of any Democrat running for president in a public forum, and really pressed for a good answer? I was very taken back by Bob's reference to the military as "the last sanctuary of scoundrels," when the military has opined that 'the media was losing the war [for us],' be it in Iraq or Vietnam. I understand his point, but I was surprised that a reporter with his background and experience would paint the military in that manner. You could almost get the sense that Bob did not think the military was entitled to criticize the media, as if the media should be immune from any critical look at the quality and accuracy of their work. As someone who gets a lot of back channel email from service members who are deployed to Iraq, there seems to be great misalignment between what the majority of service members think about the situation on the ground, and what gets reported on by the 'press,' or commented about by the 'pundits.' Thanks for scheduling Bob Timberg for this podcast. It was nice to be able to put a voice to the journalist who created one of the better literary works of our time - The Nightingale's Song.

[steve]

The war is being influenced to an incredible degree by propaganda. I may not be a military expert, but I watch the big CNN type media, (oops, I mean press) around the World. Around the World meaning 70 different Countries in all the continents but Antarctica. Many, many European Countries show more Al Jazeera channels than English language news. Any English language shown is easy to spot as gleefully reporting anything that makes USA look bad, (including CNN international). There is almost no Fox news shown outside of the USA, (real world experience in business traveler hotels).
Anybody out there that wants us to succeed? The media/press absolutely runs everything bad about the war ever since everybody saw that it wasn't going to be an overnight victory. I haven't seen one story except on Fox about progress being made, despite the fact that the folks actually in the field know it's happening.
For example, the press treatment of 'never finding weapons of mass destruction' is similar to them pointing to an empty table after everyone has left the restaurant and saying 'apparently there was never any food here, because we see no evidence of it right here on this table'. As opposed to saying, 'well, of course, in 12 years, it would be highly likely that things would be moved, sold, and tracks covered, leaving no big evidential discovery.'
It's simply common sense that knocking on somebody's door and saying "we're coming in soon, if you have anything illegal, uh, we're going to find it, so, uh, don't flush it down the toilet or anything" won't turn up much evidence when the door is finally opened. But the press has never even introduced that possibility. Never suggested that the price of freedom has always been high, or urged the Country to unite with support.
It's a responsibility to have the kind of power that they have gotten through decades of mergers, territory deals, leases, contracts, aggressive promotion........and some of that responsibility is to think about which side is benefitting from exclusively running with the negative news involving our policies.

[Ward]

Steve for President.