May 5, 2003
"Is this war going to make history by being the first to end before it's cause could be found?" Geoff Meade, Sky News
CNN fielded two broadcast teams during the Iraq War. Why? Because there were two stories? Obviously, there was only one story-- the true story of what happened in Iraq. But CNN showed two versions: one to America, and one to the rest of the world, the "international" version.
The American version was sheer boosterism-- giving America the war it wanted to see. The Americans were nimble, quick, clean, and moral. Those unscrupulous, outrageous Iraqi's dared to resist. Every time the military claimed to stumble into weapons of mass destruction: top of the news. The subsequent correction: who cares? When there was a controversy, as when Americans attacked their own reporters in the Palestine Hotel, CNN reporters were quick to excuse their own military, before gathering any actual facts. Reports in the hotel itself reported that there were no shots fired from the hotel, as alleged by the U.S. military in Islamic Disneyland, Doha, and repeated by Colin Powell.
Americans wanted to know if Jessica Lynch had plans for the future. How did she feel about her experience. One picture in front of the flag, please, one more. No questions about why a recent air force recruit identified as "Marie" was nearly court-martialed for having sex in the dorms after reporting that she had been raped by a cadet, Douglas L. Meester.
Copyright Bill Van Dyk All rights reserved.