I didn't realize it at the time I posted it Iraq orphanage story, but a large controversy over at CBS was forming over the future of the network's war coverage, or lack there of. CBS war correspondent Lara Logan's appearance on Jon Stewart
has started a right vs. left blog war over her coverage. You can read about it here.
My point in bringing all this up was threefold:
One - She covered a story a year ago in which the 82nd showed up and saved the lives of two dozen Iraqi mentally disabled orphan boys in Baghdad. It was a horrific situation with it a happy ending. It was fairly reported and created a brief stir over there. It was not your normal TV war story. CBS lead with the story and gave it an unprecedented five minutes. But the media here yawned. After some persuasion to an old friend at the Associated Press, it was picked up. It was days after the incident and didn't make many, if any, papers.
Two - CBS ramping down in Iraq is a big deal. If producers don't think war is news, we are in deep trouble. Logan told The New York Times that "she begged for months to be embedded with a group of Navy Seals, and when she came back with the story, a CBS producer said to her, 'One guy in uniform looks like any other guy in a uniform.' " The producer is no longer at CBS.
But think about it: “One guy in uniform looks like any other guy in a uniform.” No, not really. That one guy in uniform is someone's brother, spouse, son, cousin, uncle or nephew.
Three - I was leading up to an amusing anecdote that involved Logan showing up in a downtown Baghdad Army post in the midst of 115 battle weary soldiers and their reactions to not only a talented but, in their view, extremely attractive reporter who "smelled good." But it's all moot now.
3 comments:
A news producer is a news producer.Whether they work for CBS, PBS, or Inside Edition.
What an idiot.
You are absolutely right, Dad. Absolutely.
I've gotten to the point where I don't care if there is a perceived bias, as long as someone, anyone, will remind Americans that there is a war out there.
Gentlemen,
I agree with you both. Am I running late this week.? Still trying to catch up from the grandsons visit I guess.
Infantry Dad is right, an idiot is an idiot regardless who they work for.
Here is the tough part, if the news doesn't report it we must keep it in the news. I am not a real public type of guy but I have called radio talk shows and reminded them there is STILL A WAR GOING ON!!
At least it gets out to some people and posting and emailing posts is another way.
Guys, we can't leave our boys, and girls go through what they have been through and just let it go because the idiots in the news bureau think something else is more important. We gotta get in there faces! So to speak but of course politely.
Thanks for the Laura Logan article, I completely missed it. Not a big John Stewart fan and early to rise makes for early to bed at my house.
HOOAH, ATW
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