1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Worshipful coverage of the U.S. military

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Dick Whitman, Nov 10, 2012.

  1. britwrit

    britwrit Well-Known Member

    Yeah. Twenty years ago, when the economy was better, they would have been editors. Let's keep them in perspective.
     
  2. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    There may be some truth to that, but the writer of the Guardian piece seemed less critical of a general indifference to the story than he was of reporters like Andrea Mitchell acting like their dog had been shot, and saying things like, "There are still many, many reasons to revere the CIA," or whatever it was she said. It's like this story could not be reported straight by some - they had to remind viewers that it was very difficult, emotionally, for them to report bad news about a prominent military person.
     
  3. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

    The military/veterans are a much smaller percentage of the population than they used to be. Fifty or sixty years ago, pretty much every able-bodied man at least did a two-year hitch (either because he enlisted or was drafted). I would think those that went on to be journalists (or returned to being journalists) were more apt to criticize the military because they'd been there. Now the attitude is "Oh, you didn't serve? Then shut the F up!"

    But I could be wrong ...
     
  4. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    Fact is there's more and better war coverage than at any time in our history. But it's found mostly in places like the New Yorker. Or the Times.

    More mainstream outlets, especially television, gush. This, I think, because of the rush to sell patriotism post 9-11; national fear; and media paranoia founded in the implications of "be careful what you say, be careful what you do."
     
  5. I think that's a fair point.
     
  6. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member


    Not sure I agree that "you never played the game" is a fair criticism here. Or ever. Or that it leads inevitably to cheerleading.

    In Vietnam it led to the opposite.
     
  7. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    I think this is seductive, but limiting. What does a pfc understand about theaterwide strategy? Or appropriations hearings on Capitol Hill? Or the politics behind the operation she's asked to undertake?

    I think service can give a good reporter empathy for grunts and better insight into a lunatic bureaucracy, but that's as much a function of the individual as it is in the nature of the education.

    Plenty of great reporters never served. Plenty of bad ones did.
     
  8. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    You are wrong on so many levels it's hard to know where to start.
    I suppose one way to put it is that you have the freedom to post something that idiotic because of what those guys have done for this country. I understand that a few wars have been for nebulous reasons (Vietnam, Irag) but if you had been around in WWII, would have have termed us fighting the Japanese after they attacked Pearl Harbor and ridding the world of Nazism acts that didn't make your life safer?
     
  9. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    So you don't respect people who join the military for whatever reason (and many, many people with no direction in life have certainly found it in the military), thus accepting a profession that makes it possible that they can get killed or wounded in the line of duty keeping your sorry ass safe at home?
    Just wanted to get that straight.
     
  10. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    And while they're getting their fix, they're saving people trapped in those burning buildings by going headlong into the burning buildings.
     
  11. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    You may not be blaming them. But you sure as hell aren't giving them an ounce of respect.
     
  12. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    The next time a small needs the U.S. military to bail them out of an invading tyrant, they could pick up the phone and try calling Sweden or Austria for help.

    And sorry for five posts in a row. I've got firefighters, police officers and military in my family, many of whom have been shot at (by criminals here and opposing armies over there), injured and otherwise inconvenienced (such as moving 10 times in 20 years) in an effort to protect people. Some of the bullshit by Mark and pompano struck a nerve.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page