YOU'VE GOT TO AC-CENT-U-ATE THE NEGATIVE...

My nomination for school song for every journalism school in the USA.

Note this little story which focuses on the growing pains of the brand new Iraqi national guard.

On tiptoes, the child handed the poster to the Iraqi soldier manning a machine gun, as U.S. soldiers watched in dismay. The Iraqi soldier, part of a nascent security force trained and funded by the United States, held Sadr's picture aloft for a gathering, cheering mob...

Unable to shoulder Iraq's security responsibilities on their own, the Iraqi forces are nonetheless testing the limits of their new relationship with U.S. troops, including openly expressing sympathies for the most resolute enemies of the United States.

Are you sufficiently demoralized yet? Well don't be. Because, as seems to be more and more common these days with our media, the good news doesn't show up until paragraph 5 (if it shows up at all).

Here is what paragraph 5 says:

The Iraqi National Guardsmen who displayed the Sadr poster said they did so under threat of attack, and as a group they provided a useful security perimeter for the U.S. soldiers. In other regions of Iraq, more seasoned guard units have been given high marks by U.S. soldiers with the important task of training the new Iraqi security forces. On Sunday, in the city of Baqubah, 35 northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi National Guardsmen discovered a car bomb and two passengers fitted with suicide vests. In the ensuing gunfight, the car caught fire but did not explode. Both of the alleged attackers were killed.

I suppose it must sell papers or something.

Me...I'd like to see it where the postive steps forward are not treated as an aside, an "also-ran".