May 24, 2004
"GOOD NEWS IS ALSO NEWS":
Speaking to the nation (Michael Barone, May 24, 2004, TownHall)
To the criticism that they report and overemphasize bad news, reporters say, correctly, that bad news is news. But in a country like Iraq, ruled by a vicious dictator for the last 35 years, good news is also news. Reporters readily fan out to find bad news. But they seldom seek the good news -- readily available in Iraqi and military weblogs and confirmed in polls of Iraqis -- that incomes, electricity, schools, water quality, medical care, religious freedom and security are improving in Iraq. Some reporters, as the Daily Telegraph's Toby Harnden reports from Iraq, deliberately avoid good news because they think it might help George W. Bush win re-election.When Bush speaks to the public, he might follow the example of one considerably below him in the chain of command, Marine Corps Maj. Ben Connable, who wrote is USA Today: "This is my third deployment with the 1st Marine Division to the Middle East. This is the third time I've heard the quavering cries of the talking heads predicting failure and calling for withdrawal. This is the third time I find myself shaking my head in disbelief. ... Just weeks ago, I read that the supply lines were cut, ammunition and food were dwindling, the ‘Sunni Triangle' was exploding, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was leading a widespread Shiite revolt and the country was nearing civil war. As I write this, the supply lines are open, there's plenty of ammunition and food, the Sunni Triangle is back to status quo and Sadr is marginalized in Najaf. Once again, dire predictions of failure and disaster have been dismissed by American willpower and military professionalism."
The president needs to put things in perspective. Iraq is not Vietnam. My Lai was a massacre; Abu Ghraib was abuse. Hundreds of thousands of enemy attacked in the Tet offensive; a few thousand fought for Moqtada al-Sadr, and they are being rejected by his fellow Shiites.
Too many folks have too much vested in the notions that America is evil, that George Bush is an idiot , and/or that Muslims don't want freedom for the situation to be reported honestly. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 24, 2004 10:00 PM
You might add that too many people in the media think they can angle the news about Iraq, or the Middle East, or the war on terror in general anyway they want right now in order to get John Kerry elected with either no concern of the after-effects on those in the area or a delusional belief that the slate will be wiped clean if their goal is met -- as if the terrorists will hate Americans less or not at all because there's a Democrat in the White House (since we all know how much they loved us while Bill Clinton was in office).
News as political gamesmanship is a very dangerous tactic to use, but if you can't think any further than five months and one week down the line, unforseen consequences in 2005, 2006 or beyond have no importance whatsoever.
Posted by: John at May 24, 2004 10:32 PMOne side benefit is that the media has become so ridiculously partisan that one hopes that even joe-sixpack can see it now.
Posted by: Gideon at May 24, 2004 10:53 PM