RE: CNN: All the news that we see fit to print

["Bill O'Neill" <billo@shoreham.net>]

Donna writes:

...The wise person factors that in when watching or
> listening.  CNN did a commendable job covering the war, and
> saying they
> consorted with the enemy is disingenuous-- every network has to make
> certain deals in order to operate in war zones.  <snip>
> SO, let's shoot all the journalists, or let's just let them
> do their jobs
> and understand the conditions under which many of them have to
> function.

I totally agree with your first point regarding how wisdom reaps much benefit to
viewers and listeners so gifted to consider the sources.  OTOH, just today, AP
radio network news reported (WDEV) on the current Oxfam (and other relief
agencies) and their sense of urgency to get into Iraq asap to bring forth food,
medicine, etc.  The wrap blithely reported that Oxfam was rallying the UN
Security Council to "put pressure on" the U.S. and Britain to "bring order" to
Iraq (looting, etc.) so that agencies could go in and get to work.  ...on to the
next story....

...and then it hits me like a ton of bricks: PUT PRESSURE??  Is it now a
generally accepted assumption that the only thing keeping the coalition forces
from "bringing order" to that region, a region just subdued and with war still
going on, that the U.S. simply is being stubborn, dragging its feet, priorities
out of whack, uncaring, in need of "pressure" to do the 'right thing', etc.??
And then with the U.N. (bastion of getting the job done (my bias)) will polish
up its badge and take the coalition out to the woodshed?  I'll pause the rant
and focus it on my original point:  I consider myself to be fairly unwise in
many things, but in news listening, I get it.  A poli-sci degree had to finally
count for something, and a couple of years in this biz.....  If it took me a
couple of brain farts to catch on to what the AP just did to pervert that story,
I can't expect those less inclined to listen critically.

Bill O'Neill