A story detailing how those of us deeply invested in the war on terror have tuned out the mass media.
(via Instapundit)
Don't come up to Jamie Young, Martha Morris or Donna Clemons and ask these local mothers what they think about the war in Iraq.We've had this discussion among ourselves here frequently. And last week during one such discussion I was a bit surprised to hear myself say "If I could figure out how to hurt CNN I would."
That's a stupid question.
Their opinion hasn't been formed by news media coverage, Bob Woodward's latest book, the loudest talking head on television or a presidential candidate. These local moms get their perspective from the telephone and from pictures sent home or over the Internet. They've quit watching and reading the news. They say the coverage doesn't provide the full story.
Endless days of big headlines and lead stories on prisoner abuse make one believe Iraq is just one big holding pen instead of a place where people can now protest openly and hold religious observances once banned. If any one of the 200,000 members of our armed forces is doing something right in Iraq, the average viewer and reader would be hard pressed to find out. Yet if there is even speculation of something wrong, it leads the newscasts and makes the front page.
So to form their opinion, these women rely on the personal reports from their sons and their comrades and Web sites devoted to their stories.
Quite simply I believe the media dishonor our Soldiers and Marines with their unbalanced coverage of all that is bad.
It is true...I would hurt CNN if I knew how.. And not just CNN. The list would be lengthy.
So...my question to you is...do you have any good ideas? Hit the comment and let me know.
6 comments:
I have a way to fight the elite media.
A vote For Bush is a vote Against elite media.
We must give the elite media what they really don't want--the reelection of Bush.
By doing so, the American people can say enough is enough, we demand fair and balanced information, not biased and predisposed agendas.
We can make this a rallying cry of the American people who love America, who doesn't see it as the worst country in the world. That we are fighting a war for the sake of our future. The defeatism of the elite media has to change and we must take them to task.
We should make it loud and clear and pass it on.
A vote For Bush is a vote Against elite media!
The long-term way to hurt CNN is to keep doing exactly what your doing right now. This blog (and the thousands like it) are the beginning of the end for journalism as it is currently practiced. Who is going to bother with third hand reports (or fourth hand or fifth hand or ...) when blogs make first person reporting possible.
Well CNN covered the Presidents speech tonight - where were the networks? "The media" by the way is us - so maybe the real point is that the american public just Is tuned out. Think about it - a sitting president gives a major policy speech, mid war - and none of the networks even cover it?!
This ties into a post on which I am working. If you want to hurt the Old Media, hurt them where it counts: the pocket book. It is not simply enough to cancel your subscriptions or not watch the shows. That takes way too long. What you need to do is not watch, not purchase, cancel subscriptions, and tell them why you are doing it. Nice letter, stating facts, done politely. Then, send copies of the letter along with a similar nice letter to their advertisers. Tell the advertisers nicely, but firmly, why you are doing what you are doing, and that as long as they advertise there you will not buy their products and will encourage others to do the same. Note in the letter if you have a blog, and that you will work to get this effort out to as many people as possible. That you regret the necessity of the boycott, but that you support our troops and you support the War on Terror, and will only support those who do the same. This is the only way to get it done.
Blake
aka The Laughing Wolf http://laughingwolf.net
I agree with the comments concerning the media. It is interesting to note that every newscast starts with a negative story about the war, Iraqi prisoners, etc. I truly believe that the media has become the enemy within and it's primary goal is to destroy America. This is not jounalism, this is simply how can we make America look bad in the eyes of the world. Apparently the reporters, etc. fail to realize that if and when they accomplish their goal, the new government will in all probablility invoke strict censorship and we will have come full circle.
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