# Reuters rewrites a story. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 31, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038 "2003-07-31T02:41:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038/21 "2003-08-02T03:32:42Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by december_ > > Unsupported allegation that US media “hyped [the story] into a media fiction” > Accusation of US Government propaganda: “drama co-produced by U.S. government propaganda and credulous reporters.” > Accusation that US reporters are credulous > **Decision to include the quote, “It no longer matters in America whether something is true or false. The population has been conditioned to accept anything: sentimental stories, lies, atomic bomb threats…”** This quote implies Americans are gullible boobs. > Use of the quote, “The failure here was that the news media got to thinking the government could be trusted to reflect reality.” Implies that media should assumed that the government cannot be trusted. > This way of again artificially forcing the allegation of propaganda into the article: “A spokesman for U.S. Central Command in Florida had no comment when asked about assertions that the heroism tale was government propaganda.” What in the world could the spokesman possibly say to such a question? If he denied it, then Reuters’s headline would focus on his denial of GOVERNMENT PROPAGANDA. > In short, the article continually focuses on US goivernment lying and propaganda, although there is no evidence that anyone in Government ever lied. > > It is true that a number of early media reports had substantial inaccuracies, but that’s not unusual in war time. Furthermore, those mistakes didn’t come from government reports. At that point in time, the government wasn’t saying anything. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*None of that is anti-American is far as I can see. bashing the government is not the same as bashing the country. I think the government did exaggerate the story and stage the “rescue” for propaganda purposes. There’s nothing anti-American about that opinion, it’s just anti-Bush. Bush != America. \*\* None of that is anti-American? What about the line in the first quote that I put in bold? Sounds pretty anti-American to me. ---
**Author:** ![Roger\_Mexico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@Roger\_Mexico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roger_Mexico)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038/22 "2003-08-02T05:59:34Z")
Anybody with any brains knows the Lynch story is a bunch of feel-good pro-military crap meant to give a hardon to every moron waving a flag. Bashing the military is not anti-american. All of my friends are american and we all hate the military. What has the military done for me lately? As Grace Slick once said, I would rather have my country die for me. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038/23 "2003-08-02T06:10:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joel \* > \*\*None of that is anti-American? What about the line in the first quote that I put in bold? Sounds pretty anti-American to me. \*\* That’s basically true. Americans _have_ been manipulated by a corporate, pro-Bush media. It’s not their fault. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038/24 "2003-08-02T08:20:02Z")
And how do you know that the media isn’t manipulated by us? The evidence would seem to indicate the opposite. Media everywhere that is not state-controlled tends to give the people what they want. If our media is right-wing, it’s because Americans want that slant in their news. Just as most Europeans seem to want a leftward slant to their news. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038/25 "2003-08-02T13:17:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*That’s basically true. Americans _have_ been manipulated by a corporate, pro-Bush media. It’s not their fault. \*\* Diogenes, please. I was waiting for someone to respond to a specific charge with, “but that’s not bashing, because it’s true.” Let’s even grant for the moment that it’s all 100% true (just for the moment, mind you). That doesn’t change the fact Reuters introduced this perspective in direct contradiction to that of the actual story written, then refused to change the byline. I’m not suggesting they should be hauled off in irons, but that’s deplorable journalistic behavior. And that has nothing to do with which side you agree with. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038/26 "2003-08-03T05:43:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adaher \* > \*\*And how do you know that the media isn’t manipulated by us? > > The evidence would seem to indicate the opposite. Media everywhere that is not state-controlled tends to give the people what they want. > > If our media is right-wing, it’s because Americans want that slant in their news. Just as most Europeans seem to want a leftward slant to their news. \*\* If the media is right-wing, I think it’s because that’s the view their \*owners \* and corporate sponors wish to espouse. Of course, should American viewers express outrage at obvious slant by turning the channel \*en masse \*, you’d see a very quick change to try to placate the audience. The fact is, however, that most Americans really don’t care about vague concepts like slant and bias. Most viewers just want to be entertained. The reason some people feel that the media lacks standards is that we don’t demand them, plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038/27 "2003-08-03T06:47:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bob Cos \* > \*\*Diogenes, please. I was waiting for someone to respond to a specific charge with, “but that’s not bashing, because it’s true.” Let’s even grant for the moment that it’s all 100% true (just for the moment, mind you). > > That doesn’t change the fact Reuters introduced this perspective in direct contradiction to that of the actual story written, then refused to change the byline. I’m not suggesting they should be hauled off in irons, but that’s deplorable journalistic behavior. And that has nothing to do with which side you agree with. \*\* I agree that Reuters misrepresented the story, I just don’t think they were bashing America. They were bashing the government… ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038/28 "2003-08-03T06:48:31Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Lissa_ > Most viewers just want to be entertained. Really? I disagree. Conversations with friends and co-workers indicate to me that we want to be **engaged** , not entertained. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038/29 "2003-08-03T06:56:59Z")
Doh! Add in \*\*and informed/b]. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reuters-rewrites-a-story/192038.md?page=1)