# Fucking war news coverage!!!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [March 21, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230 "2003-03-21T22:27:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2003, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230/21 "2003-03-24T08:43:55Z")
> [@](#):
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> I didn’t notice anyone making light of the deaths of journalists. I did say that they did not need to be there. We do not need live video feed of the battles. Sure, it’s compelling TV. But I do not agree that we need to see everything in all it’s glory and evil. We sure don’t need to see it live, and broadcasting 24/7, IMO, will only add to foolhardy decisions to get grislier footage to outdo the competition.
I disagree. War is too important to leave to the generals. We should know EVERYTHING about it. We should have a visceral understanding of the blood that is shed. We should understand the relative difficultly of battles. We should have a feel for the uncertainty, the risk, and sheer mind-numbing complexity of it. This footage will open a lot of eyes who have never seen a war in any way other than in a John Wayne movie or a military briefing on TV. You’re seeing the shock, the confusion. A correspondent talking to the camera, then a shot ringing out, and carnage raining down.
It may be horrible, it may be riveting, it may be addictive. Whatever it is, its important that we all understand it.
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### Author:  [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2003, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230/22 "2003-03-24T08:44:19Z")
I think in general the media is trying their best here, and overall I have to say they’re doing a good job.
That said, it’s obvious they send the guys who aren’t exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer to ask questions at the various low-level news conferences. I saw one today with a military guy talking about the recent casualities. One journalist asked, “Do you think you have another Vietnam on your hands, or do you think the US military is a victim of its own overconfidence?” Like those are the ONLY two options. Gee, ask leading questions much, buddy?
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### Author:  [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230/23 "2003-03-24T13:43:54Z")
**threemae** , maybe you had to see the actual press briefing. The two reporters weren’t suggesting that the president was sitting around all day glued to the TV munching on pretzels. While it may not have been the most substantive question, it was a fair one. I.E., did the president see any of the live war coverage and what was his reaction to it?
Ari just seems so overly protective of GWB’s image lest anyone get the idea that he is just a TV watching couch potato.
Why couldn’t Ari just say that yes, there are plenty of TVs in the White House and of course the president has seen a bit of the coverage. He can then go on to expand on that as with his original answer without ignoring the question as asked. IMHO, YMMV.
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230/24 "2003-03-24T14:14:46Z")
> [@](#):
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> \*Originally posted by spooje \*
> **I didn’t notice anyone making light of the deaths of journalists.**
There have definitely been some posts call journalists in general all sorts of names. It’s good to be reminded that some of them are bravely risking their lives to get the story.
\*\*
> [@](#):
>
> I did say that they did not need to be there. We do not need live video feed of the battles. Sure, it’s compelling TV. But I do not agree that we need to see everything in all it’s glory and evil. We sure don’t need to see it live, and broadcasting 24/7, IMO, will only add to foolhardy decisions to get grislier footage to outdo the competition. \*\*
Yeah, we need to make war look all nice so people will like it.
:rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Toaster52](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toaster52)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230/25 "2003-03-24T14:17:28Z")
**Sam Stone**
_“War is too important to leave to the generals.”_
I disagree here somewhat. Yes, it’s important that we know all about war, it’s terror, bloodshed, difficulty and so forth. That’s the best way to try and prevent future wars.
But that’s AFTER the war is over. While it’s still ongoing, let’s leave the war to the people who are trained to fight wars. The last thing I want to see is another war run by and for the benefit of television.
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### Author:  [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230/26 "2003-03-24T14:23:36Z")
**Sam Stone** , I completely agree with you.
I saw the same live coverage of the fire fight that you did. It was a great example of how a small enemy force with a bit of cover can cause a lot of headaches for our forces and make it difficult to secure an area that we control.
At the same time that was going on, CNN was also showing live video from Walter Rogers who is embedded with the 7th Cavalry. They had hit an Iraqi ammo depot, but had to pull back due to Iraqi opposition. The scouting helicopters were being peppered with a huge amount of small arms fire. What came next shows the usefulness of having reporters on scene.
If reporters weren’t there we would probably have heard from the US the next day in a briefing that the Iraqis were using human shields. I’m sure some people would question whether that was true. Since we had live video, we could actually hear the jet that was called in to take out the Iraqi position. After reconnoitering the area we could hear the jet leave without firing any ordnance. Pretty clear evidence that human shields were indeed being used. Not to mention the very clear picture of three Iraqi civilians carrying a white flag in the middle of nowhere walking right past a US APC.
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230/27 "2003-03-24T14:49:31Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \*
> \*\*There have definitely been some posts call journalists in general all sorts of names. \*\*
When the act like idiots, that’s what we gotta call 'em. Just like anyone else.
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### Author:  [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230/28 "2003-03-24T15:12:39Z")
> [@](#):
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> \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \*
> \*\*Wolf Blitzer just asked Rumsfeld if the bombing of Saddam’s palace in was really a good thing to do since it could conceivably frighten the residents of Baghdad! WTF? We _shouldn’t_ bomb a military target since it might _scare_ civilians? \*\*
I was listening to that interview, and kept getting more incensed by Blitzer’s line of questioning. My feeling was that if he didn’t get the answer he wanted, Blitzer would just rephrase the question. I’m not a fan of Rumsfeld, but I was waiting for him to say to Blitzer “just because you change the wording doesn’t change the answer” or just reach out and dope-slap Blitzer. I wish I could remember specifics, but Blitzer did the near impossible; he made my sypathetic to Rumsfeld (don’t worry, I got over it and now I hate everyone again).
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### Author:  [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230/29 "2003-03-24T20:25:04Z")
I have to say that the US audience is not being well-served by US media. Up north I’m watching CNN, NBC, BBC, and plenty of Canadian coverage-- and the non-american stations are doing a far better job of showing everything. The embedded guys and gals from the US stations seem to be really gung-ho on the war and the guys covering their asses-- and I can’t blame 'em, but that’s not their job.
Those pictures of the corpses are like all pictures of dead people-- chilling.
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### Author:  [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-war-news-coverage/163230/30 "2003-03-24T20:35:41Z")
ABC has the Oscar Show on last night, and Peter Jennings has to come in between, every so often and tell us what is happening. If I want War Coverage, I’ll put it on CNN, FU Peter Jennings - you Prick, I want to watch the Oscars and not think about the War. I want to see what movies and Actors/Actresses win, and what they’re wearing. I guess I just want escapism, for a couple of hours. And I really could have lived without the Anti-War speeches or symbols, people were sneaking in.
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