When It Comes To The Military - Is The Mainstream Media Still "Yellow"?

[Rob]

Thomas D. Segel
Tom@thomasdsegel.com
www.thomasdsegel.com
(956) 423 3126

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

When It Comes To The Military - Is The Mainstream Media Still "Yellow"?
1120 words

Harlingen, Texas, June 15, 2006: Younger Americans may not be familiar with the term, "Yellow Journalism", but it is part of our history and has been around for more than 100 years. It first was used in 1898 to describe the writings of such historic figures as Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. It was common practice during those years for journalists, led by Pulitzer and Hearst to print inaccurate information, opinion as news, distorted accounts of events and biased interpretations of anything with which the writer disagreed. Because there was no other source of information, newspapers gained huge political power and had few challenges to anything put into print. Those citizens who had a better understanding and grasp of events taking place in America labeled the practice of lying to the public in print...Yellow Journalism.

Does the practice of Yellow Journalism continue today? If you are a member of the United States Armed Forces your answer will be a resounding "Yes". It is evident in almost every mainstream media report on the military.

Now in fairness to the media, there was a time in our history when journalists who reported the news treated those who take up the use of arms in defense of the nation, honorably. Historical archives are filled with eyewitness accounts of heroism. There are detailed records of battles, victories, defeats, danger and humor. This was true of the Civil War as seen in the reports about both sides of the conflict. The horror of World War I, for the most part, was treated in a forthright manner. World War II saw print journalism and radio united in patriotic defense of the American fighting men and women.

War Correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed in combat two years before I put on a uniform, but I have heard stories of his tributes to the fighting man uncountable times. His reporting and devotion to our foot soldiers has become legendary.

I am among the few still standing who can recall famed Combat Photographers Joe Rosenthal and Lou Lowery as friends. They are both known for their photographic reporting on the Battle of Iwo Jima. There are not many people around today who heard the accounts of their inching past both wounded and dead Marines on February 23, 1945 to photograph the battle and six men raising aloft the Stars and Stripes on Mount Suribachi. These heroic men were true combat correspondents and can be held up as representatives of a news reporting class that has faded into history.

By the time we were engaged in the Vietnam conflict liberalism had permeated the entertainment industry, our schools, colleges and almost every aspect of the media. The impact this godless, socialistic philosophy would have on future journalists was preordained.

Those who take time to truthfully examine history will see that the United States Armed Forces won every battle they engaged in across Vietnam. American politicians, with major assistance from the left leaning, liberal media lost the war.

Today, the corrosiveness of liberalism is so far reaching that it touches every corner of the country. This philosophy is so deeply ingrained in our traditional media schools and news outlets that few contradicting thoughts can reach the public.

In reporting the war in Iraq the press has developed a preconceived attitude about everything that is happening. The end of the story is written before the first shot is fired and almost without exception our military establishment is presented to the American people painted in various shades of contempt.

Should you feel this is overstatement try a quick computer search on news accounts of Abu Ghraib. You will discover there are more than 15 million entries on the prison abuse incidents. If you search out reports on military heroes in Iraq, you will find the entries mainly limited to Internet Ezines, Talk Radio and the Fox News Channel.

Why are things this way you ask? After all, national polls tell us American military men and women are the most honored and respected people in our country.
The best explanation I have read appeared in the June 13 online edition of Human Events. The article "Why Do Liberal Media Despise Soldiers?" was written by Rabbi Aryeh Spero and it examines the media trend of every few months searching out stories that will denigrate our troops. He even comments on the Abu Ghraib incident that was turned into a national discussion on torture by the press. "In the scheme of possible war atrocities", the Rabbi says, "It doesn't even rank. It was more uncouth behavior than atrocity." The Rabbi further reports "it is equally obvious that the media do not wait to issue its guilty judgment, even before the facts come in."

The column attempts to answer the "why" of the title by an observation that "in the mind of today's smug liberals, our soldiers are rednecks - and rednecks when let loose and not under the control of 'civilized' liberals, do what comes natural to rednecks..." These young men and women are viewed as poor, uneducated, have no chance for advancement or moving upward in society. They also have a lust for violence. Thus, their only option is to enlist.

The Rabbi brings into print what so many of us have thought and been unable to put into words. He says it is because the liberal moralizer deep down knows that he does not have the physical courage and might of the soldier. Compared to the soldier, he is a coward and weakling. His strength lies only in bringing law suits and sounding morally superior to the rest of us."

Liberal media members have appeared on various forums to defend their lack of reporting positive developments in Iraq. First they recount the number of reporters and photographers who have been killed or wounded while covering the war. Then they usually explain how very dangerous things are and how they tried to cover good events, but found it impossible because of the violence. But, they never have an explanation as to why the hundreds of news accounts written and released to them by military correspondents never make it into print. Usually they brush the questions aside saying those articles are only government public relations reports.

This writer thinks it is far more likely to be as Rabbi Spero reports, that "By and large, certain very liberal cosmopolitan men are jealous of what a soldier can do, and have a desire, a need to destroy the object of their envy."

From this vantage point it appears as if they only bring out their "yellow" by their outrageous reporting.

[Baldie88]

Thanks for the post Rob. I went to his website and read some of his other articles.

Here in St. Louis the Post-Dispatch newspaper is very left leaning. So much so that I don't even read their articles concerning the war on terror. Still being associated with the military I know there is good being done out there, it's just not being reported.

Sad state of affairs.

Ron
"Baldie88"

[Bioscache2]

It really is sad. I've talked to young LT's who told me they have had a reporter go on a raid with them to only have extra video footage spliced in when its showed on the news. If I didn't here it from someone in the military I never would have believed it.

[c5corvtman]

You know, to me after reading this, for some unknown reason the John Wayne movie "Green Beret" comes to mine. It was the news man who had strong opinions on the war, but when he was over there, he had a total different feeling about what was being done right.

Having been in the military and having read military intelligence reports, most of the media and population have no idea of what the ture message is about.

Simply put,,,,Dan Rather.......

[Pseudomind]

Sadly for me this seems to have a ring of truth to it,

He says it is because the liberal moralizer deep down knows that he does not have the physical courage and might of the soldier. Compared to the soldier, he is a coward and weakling. His strength lies only in bringing law suits and sounding morally superior to the rest of us."

I say sadly, because at my age, it appears that each successive generation buys into this liberalism, more, and more. It is almost as if actual thought processes cease to exist for many. The mantra is my Gov’mint will take care of me, but where does the gov’mint gain it’s very existence?

[KANE]

...I say sadly, because at my age, it appears that each successive generation buys into this liberalism, more, and more. It is all most as if actual though processes cease to exist to for many. The mantra is my Gov’mint will take care of me, but where does the gov’mint gain it’s very existence from?

I think I am a bit younger than you and I'm not a liberal!

If you talk to UB2SLOW and Bioscache2...

[Pseudomind]

I did not say "All." But,

it appears that each successive generation buys into this liberalism, more, and more.

[o2bnkc]

Not to offend the good members of cac, but I think the mainstream public is yellow. Not to mention soft and lazy. I think by doing a stint in the military a person appriciates what they have here. If you are fortunate enough to see other parts of the world, you really know how lucky you are, to be from this country. I salute all the brothers' in arms as they go in harm's way. They are all volunteers, so we owe them our respect. They earned it the day they raised their right hand and took that oath.

[Pseudomind]

Not to offend the good members of cac, but I think the mainstream public is yellow. Not to mention soft and lazy. I think by doing a stint in the military a person appriciates what they have here. If you are fortunate enough to see other parts of the world, you really know how lucky you are, to be from this country. They are all volunteers, (...)

You could throw in Ignorant to the mix as well. Hell I could go on with a book about it. A big part is this (I am owed by my gov'mint! For what? existing) But, this gets one back to the old adage about the more you give someone the more they carp and want more.

As too military service, I would have the draft brought back (for both men and women). The draft would probably have not been an issue if it had been equitable, but when "polly's" and other business individuals can keep their son's (women were not drafted) from being drafted then it became a common man issue.

Common man issue, (light bulb here) so what do the "polly's" do, nothing good for the nation as a whole. They go after votes by promising to eliminate the draft. Same as Kerry, Hilarious, and Kennedy did with the illegal immigrant issue, and the same as McCain is doing by espousing free Internet service/access for those in rural areas. They are only attempting to get votes; the good of our nation can be damned.

Nothing was mentioned about overcoming the inequities of the draft as well as Viet Nam at this time did not help with the concept of preserving the draft. (Here, I have to agree with the anti-draft issue as it was typically the poor folk's son's who were being drafted and dying. If the draft had been performed in an equitable manner, I believe the mantra would have been more of let's get the hell out of Viet Nam and not the big media issues of the draft itself).

This would also probably play a more integral part of whether we would be in Iraq now. I say this for two reasons, one there would be more members in congress who had served in the military, and two these same members would now have there son's and daughter's being drafted. Currently there are very few congressional members who have ever been in the military, yet who make decisions which affect the military considerably.

Ok maybe this is more then two cents, call it a nickel.

[Ms Speed Freak]

Rob,

Thanks so much for the great article. I've been so frustrated with the lack of truth in news reports, and even more frustrated with people who don't seek out the facts, but just eat up everything they hear.

So Hats Off for sharing this great article.

[UB2 SLOW]

I think I am a bit younger than you and I'm not a liberal!

If you talk to UB2SLOW and Bioscache2...

When it comes to the Liberal BS of people wanting something for nothing or wanting the Govt to take care of all their problems, I like to quote one of the most famous Americans. "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country" JFK January 20th, 1961.

When people of America stop looking for handouts, freebees and welfare from someone else and stand up for themselves and take the credit or blame for their actions, this nation will be better off. This country was built and maintained for over 200 years by people sucking it up and doing what was needed for the better of the country and not the better for the few. We would still be saying "long live the queen" if this country was built on shoulders of people looking for handouts.

[76Eldo]

Not to offend the good members of cac, but I think the mainstream public is yellow. Not to mention soft and lazy. I think by doing a stint in the military a person appriciates what they have here. If you are fortunate enough to see other parts of the world, you really know how lucky you are, to be from this country. I salute all the brothers' in arms as they go in harm's way. They are all volunteers, so we owe them our respect. They earned it the day they raised their right hand and took that oath.

I know it's been said many times, but that doesn't make it less true. As a retired member of the military, the phrase "If you can read this, thank a teacher, if you can read it in english, thank a veteran" has never been more appropriate. And my daughters agree. Compulsory service is a good idea, even if some younguns do it in a community service role.

[JoeMackin]

You can rest assure that mainstream America is not all stupid and daft. I have never had the honor of being called a solder. Seeing through the atrocities that people are committing in the media is not so hard even if you have not been in military service. Media today is about shock value only, its not good news reporting values and encouragement. What news is today is destructive, misleading and untrustworthy. I think television is intentionally destroying everything Christ taught us to be right. It is easy to see the result of love for money.

[jhecox]

I think television is intentionally destroying everything Christ taught us to be right.

Since all of us "common" folks are too dumb to think or figure out what's good for us, all we have to do is look to Hollywood. People like Tom Cruise have everything figured out for us. And if you don't believe that, just ask one of them, and they'll tell ya.

"NOT..."!!!

Great article. And, what was said about the draft is so true. I grew up in a small town in a small county during the Vietnam draft days. The draft board was made up of people from another town (the county seat, about 8,000 people). Before the draft switched to the Federal lottery in 1970, EVERY boy that turned 18 from our little town and the surrounding little towns, was drafted. Every single one! There were several from the draft board town that did not get drafted though. I turned 18 in 1970 and my lottery number was 289. I was the first boy from my home town that didn't get drafted.

Not that I have anything against the Military. In fact, I tried to join the Air Force out of high school to fly jets I told the recruiter I did't care if I went to Vietnam, as long as I could fly a plane. But, as I'm 3/4 blind, he just kind of laughed at me. The term "Coke bottles" come to mind. lol

I salute all the US Military for the GREAT job they are doing and may God watch over them.

Hecox