CNN's complicity in Iraq has kindled a white-hot passion over here at Winds of Change.NET, which is why we're focusing so hard on the media and its role today. C. Blake Powers called me a real journalist once, during the Maine Educators Controversy. I took it as the complement it was intended to be, and forgave him immediately.
This article puts some flesh on the meaning of that description. It focuses on the incidents at Iraq's Palestine Hotel, where reporters and media staff have been caught in the crossfire and killed. Their reaction to this chain of events is revealing on many levels, and illustrates exactly the attitude he believes they must overcome in order to become serious journalists again. Though it was submitted April 9th, its subject and events of the last couple of days give it continued relevance.
The Holy Media
by C. Blake Powers
Will the Palestine Hotel now be given the same designation as a Mosque or other historic site?
Of the many questions that focused on The Media at this morning’s CENTCOM briefing, none better captures the hubris of The Media than this one. Or more clearly demonstrates how said media views itself: as priests in a religion. Priests that have full immunity, should be allowed to go anywhere, do anything, and be worshiped for so doing.
This truly is how many see themselves: an elite, intelligent group that is above law and petty mortal concerns, tending the shrine of holy truth – as they see it. Any who don’t see it that way are at best part of the great unwashed brainless masses, and at worst a dangerous enemy to be destroyed.
As I said previously, the military has long been the enemy and clearly in the latter category. This morning’s briefing clearly showed that this mindset is still in the hearts and minds of many in the media. As someone who no longer uses the title of journalist, let me say to all of them: Get Over It.
CONTINUED...
If the U.S. Military had truly targeted the media in the hotel, you would all be dead and the hotel a pile of rubble. A lot more than one main gun round and some coax would have been directed your way. That's pretty obvious from all that has gone on before. If you don't believe it. just ask Saddam.
The facts are that the media in Baghdad, and specifically the media in the Palestine Hotel, had been warned that the situation was dangerous; indeed, it appears that specific warnings were issued that the hotel was not a safe place to be. The reporters chose to stay, as is their right to do so. Just as free speech does not mean a freedom from consequences, however, the freedom to choose does not mean freedom from all danger and harm.
Indeed, ignorance of the military may well have contributed to what happened. The fact is that the hotel provides a nice high vantage point in a key location. At the very least, it would make a dandy observation post, if not a position for some sniping and related fire. The Iraqi regime has not hesitated to use human shields before, so what made the media in the hotel think that they were exempt from this? Did the official minders/censors that have been so gleefully quoted as being average Iraqis tell them so? Any journalist with half a brain should have been able to figure this out, since they were using it as an observation post. Even if they did not know military matters, good fiction, such as that of David Drake, could have told them what was going to happen.
In all the media uproar over the "attack" there have been some telling statements. My favorite so far, quoted in the briefing, was that French footage clearly showed that there had been no fire from the hotel for at least 30 seconds before the tank fired. Tacit admission that fire had come from the hotel. Other reports provide an implied admission that it was being used as an observation post by other than the media. Still, The Media was there and should never have been fired upon. The Holy Media, in all its glory, is above such things and should never be targeted no matter what is going on around it or under its skirts.
Get Frelling Over It. The behavior of many in the media right now is an insult to the many great war and military correspondents of the past. Correspondents who knew the risks, took them anyway, got out great stories and writing, and did not think – KNEW – that their profession did not grant them any special powers or immunity from harm. That they were not a bunch of plaster saints that should be worshiped.
If those screaming like goosed Vestal virgins right now had spent that much energy on doing real reporting of what was going on in the world, particularly in Iraq, then much might be different. It is entirely possible that this war as it is being fought might not have had to take place. More than 120 Coalition soldiers might not be dead, countless civilian lives saved, and many other harms averted. If the media protection organizations that are jumping up and down right now demanding investigations had put half as much energy into the known and documented abuses to real journalists under Saddam, Iraq might could have had something bordering on a free press. Instead, real reporters either left Iraq, or died. And they died almost entirely unreported by The Media and the media groups now wailing hysterically.
Get over it. Do some real reporting for a change, and focus half as much attention on the subject you are supposed to be covering rather than on yourselves. Tell the stories of those who died for you to get your moment of glory. Tell the stories of the many thousands of martyrs in Iraq who died opposing a corrupt and brutal regime. Tell the stories of real journalists in Iraq and what happened to them. Tell the story of those soldiers that so many of you in The Media despise, who gave their lives so that you would have the right of a free press. Exercise the responsibility that comes with that right for a change. Doing that would be the best memorial possible for all those who have given their lives: media, Iraqi, and Coalition.
N.B. In his next article, "It's The End of The News as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," C. Blake Powers extends Glenn Reynolds' excellent "New Class Crackup" piece about the erosion of the media's social role, looking at the phenomenon through the lens of the fall of Saddam's statue and how it was covered.
The full index of our recent media-related coverage can be found here.
It may not even been an American tank round.
I have seen analysis that shows several points.
1. A tank can't elevate it's barrel sufficiently to get a round to the 15th (I think) floor.
2. The design of the balconies does not allow a tank round to come into a room without hitting parts of the balcony. No hits were in evidence.
3. Tank rounds leave shrapnel and severe damage to internal structures. No such signature found.
4. The signature found was consistient with a detonation of unconfined high explosives indicating that the Iraqis may have killed the journalists to create an incident.
You will note that as far as investigation by journalists go this story has died. Perhaps because it does not actually conform to the Iraq good, America bad press bias.
Hmmm, since the "Maine Educators Controversy" pretty much smeared every teacher in Bangor without any chance of defense, 'cause there never were any named accusing witnesses or specific teachers accused, I wonder what kind of journalism that was. Although it was huge with polemicists like Limbaugh, WorldNetDaily and O'Reilly.
But Joe, I'm in a good mood today, so check this out:
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=14750
The Iraqi actually uses the phrase "winds of change."