CNN's Brown Admits Focus on Iraqi Attacks Skewing Public's View
By focusing so much on day by day problems in Iraq, former Army officer Ralph Peters argued in a New York Post op-ed on Tuesday, the media are obscuring America's overall success. Tuesday night's network newscasts illustrated Peters' point as all led with the latest incidents of violence and contrasted them with the Bush administration's �insistence� that conditions are improving in Iraq.
�It was another violent day on the streets of Iraq for U.S. troops and Iraqis alike,� warned CBS Evening News anchor John Roberts. �It has been another dangerous and bloody day for American forces in Iraq,� echoed NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw.
CNN's Aaron Brown conceded that �it is undoubtedly true that the reporting of these attacks are changing the country's view of the war.�
In his July 1 op-ed Peters, who has appeared on FNC's Special Report with Brit Hume, proposed:
�A relatively small number of foreseeable attacks...have been blown wildly out of proportion.
�Our troops are doing remarkably well -- but the headlines make it sound like a disaster. Last weekend, almost as many Americans died in a residential balcony collapse in Chicago as have been killed by hostile fire in 'postwar' Iraq. �As a former soldier, I don't discount any American casualties as unimportant. But the fact is that, despite real errors and miscues, reconstruction efforts in Iraq are going surprisingly well...�
Yep, it's only the people that think you can reverse 12 years of infrastructure deterioration with a snap of the fingers and swish of the old magic wand that are hysterical. But the post-war era is definitely being shaped by these kinds of attitudes, so we need to be sure that our attitude is voiced loud and clear - we started this, and we ain't leaving until it's done.
You talking to me? Stop by and take the poll.
Posted by Neal Mauldin at July 06, 2003 12:03 PM | TrackBack