I can’t say I was surprised when I read on Tapscott’s Copy Desk about Saddam having an agent inside the Associated Press, informing the dictator of the activities of UNMOVIC. Any reader of spy fiction (especially spy fiction written by one-time spies) knows that news organizations are historically hot beds of such activity. The Associated Press has a history of its own as well. Its Pulitzer Prize for war photography in Iraq is a subject worthy of serious investigation in and of itself. (If only Pajamas had the time and energy for that…)
Of course this is yet another indication of why an intelligent person does not believe what he reads in the mainstream media. He shouldn’t believe what he reads in the blogs either. Becoming a “trusted source” has become a highly complex matter. We live in a “competitive market” for trust. Many factors go into it. The primary one for me is the admission of point-of-view. Clarity of “where you are coming from” is ground zero for reader confidence. The Associated Press has just received another serious body blow in that regard. Look for this blow to be ignored by the mainstream media, however. This is increasingly about money and markets and the MSM has a vested interest in sticking together on these issues, no matter the ideology of the outlet.
I agree with you Roger, but will people believe it? After all to hear some people in the Senate tell it, Saddam was an innocent man.
April 17, 2006 wasn’t a very good day in the e-pages of Powerline was it. I followed the lead in your story and was brought to the picture that won the Pulitizer, “Last year we noted that the AP had won “The Pulizer Prize for felony murder.” The picture was of the poor election worker being shot in the head in a set up killing for the AP. [go to above, "Pulitizer Prize for war time photography.]
Powerline also had the Bill Keller comment after the times had once more worked in behalf of our enemies. “Bill Keller, who made the decision to “declassify” the NSA surveillance program in the pages of the Times. According to Keller, the publication of the NSA story did “not expose any technical intelligence-gathering methods or capabilities that are not already on the public record.” That was Keller’s mea culpa for treasonous action.
Our ‘newspapers’ are becoming the organs of the present day Fascist’s, our poor country has to fight an enemy abroad and one at home. We have one major party who think Islamic Fascism should be taking care of by the police after they killed 3000 of our citizens.
Its as though the Democrats and most of the ‘newspapers’ have taken leave of the senses, they have opted for the other side it seems, their country can do no good or right. The blogs have made their lies more obvious, thousands of people now look over every statement, research background, compare statements/pictures/documents and the MSM hates it. The playing field has finally been leveled somewhat but yet not enough. With the Keller’s working against us we are assured of another hit like 9/11.
The AP’s Equal Employment Opportunity program is second to none.
No wonder the “competition” (Reuters) has a problem calling Jihadists “terrorist”.
They are competing for the services of an explosive talent pool.
The AP, CNN and other news organizations should not be criticized for being anti-American. They are international organizations. Most of their clients are anti-American. So their position is just good business.
There is nothing personal. Just like the Mafia says, ìItís only business.î
“This is increasingly about money and markets”..I’m not sure it is. If a publisher were really concerned about money & markets, why would he go to great lengths the alienate half (or more) of his potential audience? Walter’s point about international markets may apply to broadcast networks, but much less for newspapers.
I think there is actually a question about whether certain publishers are fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders versus pursuing personal political agendas.
“They (AP. MSM) are international organizations. Most of their clients are anti-American. So their position is just good business.”
If Reuters and the AP are going to report like a soviet era TASS during the cold war then some consequences should result. To continue turning a blind eye to things that clearly undermine the war effort is my opinion a dereliction of duty. Rumsfeld is the only member of the administration even talking about this.
These are conventional fighting tools at our disposal. If we don’t use them we should go back to 9/11 ante, and stop all this talk of war. In the mean time I would encourage members of the MSM specially those with overseas assignments to “genuinely” consider converting to Islam.
Reuters and the Associated Press were founded in the mid 19th Century. The AP is an association of AMERICAN newspapers; Reuters is more ‘international’, ie, european.
The total irony of that murderous photo (that won a Pulitzer!!!) was that – when it was taken, the members of the AP board of directors were almost all people (humans!!) who own strings of Mid Western and South Eastern US newspapers. Really!. That is, the areas of America that are contributing a very large proportion of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are ALSO served by newspapers who pay murderers to set up a murder for a photograph that can be sold throughout the world, thus showing how weak the US is.
Nice eh?? I sent each and every one of those terrible people a package showing how that photo was a set up, designed by murderers for the AP stringer… and got nary a response.
It isn’t just money, folks. It is malice that is working its way through the body politic. I suppose they were thrilled with the Pulitzer, too.
Living just some miles west of NYC, I was able to see the smoke coming from the Trade Center from my back yard. Our town lost over 20 people that day (3 from our church). At every stop on our sort of sleepy and but very scenic trainline into Hoboken – at least one person was murdered that day. Memorials have been placed at each station.
Over the last few years, when we venture near the southern NY City skyline, there is a painful void you’re presented with – those missing towers. That sight triggers feeling of nausea, anger, and sadness; and I have found over the years that everyone I mention this too in our area feels the same when they head over.
Back in December while flying back from Florida, I wound up next to a 9/11 survivor. She worked on one of the upper floors of one of the towers (her coworker was part of a 9/11 documentary) – and she had decided to go out for a cigarette before the plane hit. During our conversation, it became evident that she was more in the camp of Jesse Jackson politically … but as we proceeded in conversation it seemed actually more of a defense mechanizm; something she was holding onto for dear life … like a desperate grasp for September 10. Because as we talked, it became clear that she loathed the hijackers and Bin Laden, at one point saying that they “must be destroyed”. Further on, after telling her about my relatives who are involved in the WoT, she became teary and hoped that the military would succeed in all their efforts – even in Iraq, which she was against.
I think some of the desperate grasp to hold onto “who’s right” has to do with the unnverving thought of having to actually face what these terrorists hold in store for us. My neighbor on that plane certainly understood it, being witness to it. Perhaps the thought of banding together with the “other side” who ventures to DO SOMETHING about it is still too much to swallow; a sort of double-devestation that your guys don’t have a clue. But I don’t know how else you cure this desperate desire for 9/10 except for more wake-up calls. I think that’s become pretty evident. Many need to come to the realization kicking and screaming I’m afraid, and isn’t it unfortunate that this goes all the way up the food chain to Senators, etc. What does this say about our collective character? Yikes.
Ooops! Sorry – wrong topic/thread