Why Abu Ghraib?

[menewa]

Many on this board denounced the heavy attention the US media gave to the Abu Ghraib prison scandle. For weeks, it seemed, the images were constantly on all the major news networks and all the news talk shows hosted scores of various experts on military law, interegation, etc., discussing the issue.

But I'm wondering why the media hasn't spent more time covering all the cases where soldiers and mercenaries have been charged with murder or manslaughter involving POWs.

There have been several instances of this, but I only find stories concerning it in the print media. I've not seen all the attention given to these alledged murders as I have to the degrading postures.

Why do you think this is?

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=540814&section=news

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-06-17-abuse-charges_x.htm?csp=1

 

[Annie]

Originally posted by menewa
Many on this board denounced the heavy attention the US media gave to the Abu Ghraib prison scandle. For weeks, it seemed, the images were constantly on all the major news networks and all the news talk shows hosted scores of various experts on military law, interegation, etc., discussing the issue.

But I'm wondering why the media hasn't spent more time covering all the cases where soldiers and mercenaries have been charged with murder or manslaughter involving POWs.

There have been several instances of this, but I only find stories concerning it in the print media. I've not seen all the attention given to these alledged murders as I have to the degrading postures.

Why do you think this is?

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=540814&section=news

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-06-17-abuse-charges_x.htm?csp=1

Gee I don't know. Here's what I found about CIA contractor in about a 30 sec. search, each number stands for a page, help you get the idea of coverage?:


New! Get the latest news on David Passaro with Google News Alerts.



Result Page:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Next

 

[Avatar4321]

Possibly because they would be hypocrites for not giving more time to statements by John Kerry in which he confesses to raping, pillaging, and burning villages, all of which are war crimes far worse than abu Ghraib. Maybe even the media has a conscience.

 

[menewa]

Originally posted by Kathianne
Gee I don't know. Here's what I found about CIA contractor in about a 30 sec. search, each number stands for a page, help you get the idea of coverage?:

I know there has been coverage of these alledged crimes else I would have never heard of it myself.

But you must admit that the outrage that existed in the press and by our congress has not seemed to extend to these alledged murders.

 

[Annie]

Originally posted by menewa
I know there has been coverage of these alledged crimes else I would have never heard of it myself.

But you must admit that the outrage that existed in the press and by our congress has not seemed to extend to these alledged murders.

Menewa, they were charged and are awaiting trial. You want the press to repeat what they did for prison scandal, then the neglect they gave the beheadings. I know that would make your month, but the reading public has been backlashing the papers for what they did. That's probably your answer.

 

[menewa]

Originally posted by Kathianne
Menewa, they were charged and are awaiting trial. You want the press to repeat what they did for prison scandal, then the neglect they gave the beheadings. I know that would make your month, but the reading public has been backlashing the papers for what they did. That's probably your answer.

You are right that the beheadings have also failed to get adequate coverage with repect to Abu Ghraib.

My feeling is that our TV news networks are lazy and play to the lowest common denominator. With Abu Ghraib, they had photos and so everybody could quickly see an image and not much research or investigating had to be done. Thus, they save on the bottom line. Also, they don't go above the heads of their viewers by not having a story that doesn't include a series ready to use pictures and videos.

 

[Annie]

Originally posted by menewa
You are right that the beheadings have also failed to get adequate coverage with repect to Abu Ghraib.

My feeling is that our TV news networks are lazy and play to the lowest common denominator. With Abu Ghraib, they had photos and so everybody could quickly see an image and not much research or investigating had to be done. Thus, they save on the bottom line. Also, they don't go above the heads of their viewers by not having a story that doesn't include a series ready to use pictures and videos.

You're right abou the pics, they had the story months before, the pics gave them what they wanted.

However, they also had videos of the beheadings, they chose not to run them. Ask yourself, why? And it wasn't for good taste.

 

[menewa]

Originally posted by Kathianne
You're right abou the pics, they had the story months before, the pics gave them what they wanted.

However, they also had videos of the beheadings, they chose not to run them. Ask yourself, why? And it wasn't for good taste.

I agree that it wasn't for good taste. I believe because to cover such a story as a kidnapping and subsequent beheading it takes a lot of research and a lot of brave investigating. We seem to know very little about these various groups doing these macabre executions. Just the act of learning more about these groups would require brave journalists to track down and talk to these beligerent fanatics. It would also require intense research and analysis into how these groups form and how they think and what they're precise motives are.

We need brave journalists uncovering these thugs and learning about how they operate and how they are financed.

Again, I think it comes down to news corporations worries about the bottom dollar above quality investigative reporting.

 

[Annie]

Originally posted by menewa
I agree that it wasn't for good taste. I believe because to cover such a story as a kidnapping and subsequent beheading it takes a lot of research and a lot of brave investigating. We seem to know very little about these various groups doing these macabre executions. Just the act of learning more about these groups would require brave journalists to track down and talk to these beligerent fanatics. It would also require intense research and analysis into how these groups form and how they think and what they're precise motives are.

We need brave journalists uncovering these thugs and learning about how they operate and how they are financed.

Again, I think it comes down to news corporations worries about the bottom dollar above quality investigative reporting.

Menewa, you are SO good at rationalizing. In these cases, just like the prison, all they needed to do was run the videos. Since they'd already run the pics, they NEEDED to run the Videos and newspapers to print the stills. But they didn't, for the same reason they stopped running 9/11 coverage after a day. They don't want the people getting 'upset' about what is done to us, but rather 'how evil' we are.

 

[menewa]

Originally posted by Kathianne
Menewa, you are SO good at rationalizing. In these cases, just like the prison, all they needed to do was run the videos. Since they'd already run the pics, they NEEDED to run the Videos and newspapers to print the stills. But they didn't, for the same reason they stopped running 9/11 coverage after a day. They don't want the people getting 'upset' about what is done to us, but rather 'how evil' we are.

Do you really believe that the mainstream media is some dark cabal intent on destroying the image of the US government?

 

[Annie]

Originally posted by menewa
Do you really believe that the mainstream media is some dark cabal intent on destroying the image of the US government?

I don't think it's a cabal or a conspiracy. I think that the media is so left of center that is their natural take on things. PEW just released a study of the phenonema, which had only been 'conventional wisdom' before. It seems that it did take many publishers aback, but it came out too late for this problem, which crystalized for many how biased the media has been.

For all the 'name calling' about FOX, they scored the highest of all television for balance. That is the reason in all likelihood that their numbers are where they are. It's also the reason to many, including myself, they seem 'right'. Well they are when all the rest are left of most Americans.

 

[Annie]

Originally posted by Sir Evil
Hmmm, I see you have nothing better to do after celebrating Independance day? Your point is? I think the board has discussed the issue several times and I hardly think anyone denounced it!

Oh but SE I did. : in perspective to the media not sharing the stills and video of beheadings. Menewa and I are having a conversation, which is a good thing, rather than his just posting random thoughts.

 

[NATO AIR]

i remember feeling sick and outraged after seeing part of daniel pearl's beheading on CBS. his wife and parents explicity asked it not be shown, but CBS did so anyway. that pissed me off. if the berg family or god help (hopefully he's alive) the beheaded marine's family wishes the same, the media should respect their wishes, not pursue ratings.

the investigations into the deaths of afghan and iraqi prisoners are so far satisfactory in their progress and degree of seriousness and through investigation as far as i've heard. without pics or videos, there's little for ratings hungry news outlets to go with. did ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC or CNN talk about that soldier who was nearly beaten to death by his comrades during a "prisoner interrogation" training session? no visual, usually no story.