Good news from Iraq…
Do journalists ignore the good news in Iraq? That’s an excellent question.
In any city the size of Baghdad, if stuff is blowing up almost daily, if people are being killed and kidnapped almost daily, if troops are dodging insurgent bombs almost daily, then guess what’s going to dominate the news?
It simply isn’t true that no “good news” stories make it into the American press. But it certainly is true that more bad news gets covered. That’s not surprising. It’s not surprising if you’re still operating under the assumption that the news media has a liberal bias. And it’s not surprising if you understand what it is that actually drives journalism. And here’s another reason it’s not hard to understand:
Rumsfeld and Bush must know that “it’s incredibly dangerous and that the media has a very difficult job,” said Jerry Burke, executive producer of daytime programming at Fox News Channel. “We have to cover some aspect of the story so we cover what we can cover without getting our anchors and our reporters blown up.”
Hmmmmmm…if you risk getting blown up if you venture out to cover a story, then what exactly is the story? My introductory journalism students can answer that one for you correctly–including the conservatives among them.
News Not Nailed is Narrow and Negative …
Andy Cline:
Sys- True enough. And I stand by it. But journalists usually don’t risk getting blown up covering a debate.
Depends on the debate.
Most journalists in the world risk financial ruin, imprisonment and physical harm practicing their craft.
Some might say that’s where the “story” is.
What I’ve found interesting about your writing in the past is the recognition that how the story is told has concequences, good and bad.
Sys– re: good and bad
Yes, and I certainly won’t deny that the bad news from Iraq has consequences that may be completely unintended and even harmful to a legitimate effort to do the job of fixing the place.
Here’s a question for you: As a military guy, what would be your specific (logistic, etc.) suggestions for the press in Iraq about how to get the “good” news–including how to identify it–without discounting the legitimate news of mayhem?
re: suggestions
There is not a logistics problem and journalists in Iraq “get” the good news. As Hastings and others point out, it’s an editorial choice. My suggestions would pertain then to editorial choices and journalistic culture:
Fix the Culture
Fix the Product
NYT’s Must Read
Viacom: Sell CBS News
The Media, Military and Iraq
News Bias
Is there bias in the news media? Of course there is, and it covers more than the war in Iraq.
Do you remember Rumsfeld’s surprise Christmas Eve trip to Iraq in 2004. During his televised rallying of the troops, he accidently stated that “Flight 93 was shot down.” Did the news media print a front page news story covering this statement the following day? No. Did we have continuous coverage regarding investigations into this statement? No.
Did you know that George Bush, Senior had stated that “a war in Iraq is one that could never be won.” I see his son did not adhere to his advice.
Economics: Where is the concern regarding inflation? Since the establishment of the Federal Reserves in 1913, the purchasing power of the American dollar continues to decline. I hope you are investing in gold, silver and gemstones.
Why didn’t the news media scream louder over the removal of the Ten Commandments from schools, governmental buildings, etc. Our nation and our judicial system were built upon these principles.
Biases appears to cover many aspects of the American way of life. To some degree they feed the interest of those involved.
In regards to the War in Iraq, the American people only see what the news allows them to see. In this case, the violence in Iraq can be viewed in many ways. The articles can promote the tireless work involved to secure the right to freedom, or the news can down play US involvement by promoting governmental decisions as being inadequate. The list could continue onward in regards to negative or positive comments regarding this topic. After listening to my son-in-law who recently returned from Iraq, I feel confident in stating that there are many humanitarian stories that are not covered by the press.
Media bias continues to grow. However, it is the voices of the American people that can bring change in securing a two party view of a story. I feel that the American people play a part in promoting media bias because we have grown lazy and accepting of the information that the news media dictates. Until we decide to let our voices be heard, I feel that this problem will continue to move forward.