and I usually don't do too much that is overly serious on Saturdays BUT.....well I'm not real happy/content/pleased with a situation and I wanna talk about it.
Ever since Greyhawk posted on the CBS cameraman issue I've flipped back and read - reread his post. Over and over. I've followed the links. I've read the comments. I don't like it. I don't like it one little bit.
Bear with me as I work this through my mind.
His title really catches it all for me. "Crossing the Line? Media and The Public's Right to Know"
The public's right to know.
Hmmmm
Back in the beginning of OIF we saw many inbedded reporters. Now, as a civilian that was desperate for news/info on what was going on over there....I was thrilled with this idea. However, my hope was that those journalists went through a rigorous screening process and that seemed to be the fact. Remember when Heraldo Rivera got in trouble for drawing that infamous map in the sand? He had to leave. As it should be. Stupid thing to do. But that's not my point. The point is there was screening, there were boundaries, you screw up - you're outta there.
Now...they are saying this CBS cameraman was a freelancer - but he still had press creditials. From CBS. He had access to places that could put the lives of our Military men and women in jepordy. That is not acceptable to me.
But...I'm going back to the "right to know" thing. We have a right to know that which will not put someone else in danger. How 'bout that?! We have a right to know the truth....but we don't need to know everything. I know there are those that will disagree with me on this, and that's your choice. But take a hint here - you won't change my mind. Ever.
Go back 30 years ago. I don't know about you, but my parents didn't talk about certain things in front of us kids. Money issues were never discussed. Family business (outside the immediate family) were never discussed. Was it our right to know that we had no money? Yeah, you could say it was. Did we NEED TO KNOW? No. Not really. Did we NEED TO KNOW that my aunt was in a dryout clinic due to alcoholism? No, no we didn't. We knew she was ill, she is family and that was our right - but we didn't need to know the details.
Where do we draw the line in regards to our Military? To this war?
I'm greedy. I want to know all that I can. I want to know because I care. I care about the outcome. I care about our Military. But I don't want anyone hurt or killed because of my greed. I can wait for the information. I may not like it, but I can do that. The outcome of this is too important. Too many lives are at stake.
So.....my hope is that if this cameraman is found to have been in cohoots with the enemy both he and CBS should be reprimanded. And.....I can't believe I'm going to type this out loud......I think we need to rethink the inbedded journalist program. And I think the MSM needs to stop and think about whats REALLY important.
We have a right to know the truth.......
Posted by Tammi at April 9, 2005 04:47 PMVery insightful. I totally agree.
Posted by: TNT at April 10, 2005 09:52 AMI agree with you Tammi.
Posted by: vw bug at April 10, 2005 02:07 PMI'm too busy laughing at that terrorist-supporting POS cameraman getting shot to agree with Tammi, but I'm sure I will later after I catch my breath.
I'm sorry, was that insensitive of me?
Well, so is picking the wrong side to support in a war, as this cameraman obviously did.
Posted by: Harvey at April 10, 2005 02:10 PMInteresting...and valid...point you bring up. There's some history to it too. WWII...we didn't have the CAPABILITY for immediate media coverage. What the average civilian got was weeks old and highly filtered. The American people bent over backwards to support the war effort. Fast forward...Viet Nam. Technology had caught up and the average citizen saw war as it really happened and in real time. They freaked. War aint the movies and it aint pretty. People were shot, blown up, laying on stretchers calling for their mothers in WWII too. But Joe citizen didn't SEE it on the 6 o'clock news. Anti-war sentiment grew to huge proportions. Fast forward again. Desert Storm. The press was kept back until after combat actions were over. They saw the aftermath of battles and destruction, not live coverage. The peoples reaction?...yellow ribbons, Lee Greenwood etc. etc. OIF has attempted to offer a comprimise. To some degree it has worked. Unfortunately to some degree it has not. When certain "privileges" are taken advantage of it goes back to the same scenario as the coverage in Viet Nam.
Posted by: Koolaid at April 11, 2005 12:52 PM