more on Newsweek

The Newsweek Story: Titanic Struggle or Tempest in a Teapot?

What strikes me as odd isn't that O'Reilly and the other news outlets that I listen to (CBS, CNBC) picked up on the Newsweek story. That was to be expected in a 24-hour news cycle. The truly amazing - and disturbing - thing is that, to date, I have yet to hear any mention that on May 12th the U. S. military exonerated Newsweek of any complicity in the riots or the deaths at a press conference held on May 12th. Last time I looked, "press conferences" were held in front of members of the PRESS. Isn't the "press" comprised of reporters? Journalists? Correspendents? People who make their living reporting the news?

Could it be that a headline that reads "Epic Struggle Between President and Newsweek" is a lot sexier and grabs more audience than the title of the State Department's report, which is "Afghan Riots Not Tied to Report on Quran Handling, General Says"?

Let me repeat that title.

"Afghan Riots Not Tied to Report on Quran Handling, General Says."

Why is Newsweek going along with this whole charade? Clearly, the magazine knows its reporting did not cause those riots in Afghanistan. And, unless they are nitwits, the rest of the news gatherers know this as well.

So, what gives here? Just like the Downing Street memo, pertinent facts are being withheld from the American public by those charged with the task of gathering critical information and disseminating it in a timely manner.

As if that isn't enough, there are now reports that the State Department, in direct contradiction of the military, now blames Newsweek for the Afghanistan riots. AP reported yesterday that "[the] State Department, moving to undo damage it says was caused by a Newsweek article alleging U.S. desecration of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, is telling its embassies to spread the word abroad that America respects all religious faiths." (AP, 5/18/05)

NewsMax and other right-wing sites are all over this, using it as ammunition to further denigrate Newsweek. Yet, nowhere in any of these anti-Newsweek reports do they say that the American military acquitted Newsweek and laid the blame on economic and political conditions in Afghanistan itself.

Is it any wonder that the American public is confused? Without access to the internet, a willingness to spend a lot of time researching and a healthy dose of happenstance, I would not have had enough information to write this post.

Why can't the people who get PAID to inform us actually do so?

----
Wouldn't it be amazing if we really did get the full story from our news agencies?