The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 3 of 12)

br> Newton, New Jersey /p>

Mr. Emanuel has written a very good article. Additionally, he has the background to discuss the effects embedding has on the individual reporters. Far be it from me to rain on his parade, because I believe in his general message and the excellent work being done by our truly courageous warriors.

From reading an awful lot of information regarding the war and our military, I must express a bit of skepticism, however. I note that Mr. Emanuel cites as examples a couple of European journalists. He does not cite a single instance of this happening with an American reporter. Now I am sure that it has happened with an American reporter, but I do think that it happens less often than with the Europeans.

I would also say that the preponderance of stories in the American media are coming from the reporters that spend their time in the Green Zone waiting for their Iraqi stringers to submit a story to them, and complaining about the conditions under which they are expected to work. Or the stories are submitted by a reporter that flies in with some dignitary, spends a few hours surrounded by excessive security laid on to protect the dignitary, and flies out the same day or the next day.

But let us stipulate that reporters are positively influenced by the embeds with our military and that they file wonderfully balanced and truthful reports of the action that they see. That reporter has little to no control over whether that story gets in the paper or on the TV. Some jaded, opinionated, biased editor or producer will be making the decisions on which stories get aired and where and how. That editor or producer has NOT been embedded with our troops, and likely is on guard against any positive words for the troops that might slip into the paper or TV report by accident.

p>Bottom line, this positive attitude, however prevalent it may be among the reporters in the field, it isn't allowed to leak into the reports that the public sees here at home. See ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, New York Times , Boston Globe , Washington Post , and on and on. br> -- Ken Shreve

topics:
Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Mainstream Media, Television, Business, Constitution, Law, Military, Iraq, NATO, Conservatism