Faulty News Reports: Who's to blame?

[GAsux]

What if the reason the government hasn't said if Saddam is dead or alive or not is because they really don't know?

It's really no win. For example, when a military official says a town has been taken, that doesn't necessarily mean that there are parties in the streets and kids are riding ponies and breaking pinatas. It means they feel secure operating in the area and that the resistance is not enough to keep them from carrying out there mission.

Yet the media cried foul when reports of battles in places like Um Qasr began to come in AFTER military officials had made such claims. No one said there was absolutely no resistance left in the town, yet the media portrayed it as such.

It works both ways. If you've ever worked with media organizations, particularly on behalf of the government, you'll find it's a constant battle. The government wants to protect it's line and present favorable images, the media wants to get the dirt. As a result both sides resort to tactics they perhaps normally wouldn't.

Regardless, my point is I think the journalism coming out of Iraq is shit and it's not because the government is carrying out a misinformation campaign. It's a result of shoddy reporting and gamesmanship on the part of the media outlets to one up the others. 10 years ago CNN was king. There was no competition. These days there are a handful of around the clock news stations all vying for the almighty rating.