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Olbermann: Lynch Rescue Story Ran in Toronto Paper

ABC’s Peter Jennings must have gotten the idea for his story belittling the Lynch rescue was from his hometown newspaper. The Toronto Star, it turned out, ran a similar story on the Lynch rescue two days before the ABC story. The Star, however, wasn’t fascinated by broken doors.
(CyberAlert, May 9)

 

Democratic Complaints About Carrier Landing Get Network Coverage

The Democratic complaints about the President’s carrier landing began receiving widespread network attention. CBS, CNBC and CNN all aired at least one story and CBS highlighted presidential scholar James Thurber’s concern that Bush’s appearance in a military uniform raised “troubling thoughts.”
(CyberAlert, May 8)

 

FNC Dismisses Moran’s Claim

The panel on Special Report with Brit Hume laughed at a question ABC reporter Terry Moran asked at a news conference. Moran asked if President Bush’s carrier landing might have “weakened the distinction” between military and civilian control of the armed forces.
(Cyberalert, May 8)

 

Lynch Rescuers Broke Doorknobs!

ABC and Peter Jennings belittled the military raid that secured Jessica Lynch and questioned if such force was really necessary. Worst of all, the soldiers rescuing Lynch broke down doors and they were still broken at the time ABC filed the report.
(CyberAlert, May 8)

 

Jennings Relays Liberal Complaints About Bush’s Carrier Landing

ABC’s Peter Jennings highlighted the complaints of Sen. Robert Byrd and Rep. Henry Waxman. The two Democrats complained of about President Bush’s carrier landing and Byrd went so far as to claim it was “an affront to the Americans killed or injured” in Iraq.
(CyberAlert, May 7)

 

NY Post Reporter Says Press Ignores Positive U.S.-Iraqi Dealings

“To an amazing degree, the Baghdad-based press corps avoids writing about or filming the friendly dealings between U.S. forces here and the local population,” according to New York Post reporter Jonathan Foreman. Foreman, in a piece in The Weekly Standard, also noted that the media exaggerated the supposed looting that took place.
(CyberAlert, May 6)

 

It’s Not the Helmet…It’s the Man

ABC's George Stephanopoulos suggested President Bush removed his flight helmet before greeting sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln to avoid looking like Michael Dukakis in his infamous tank picture. What the former Clinton aide missed was that the liberal Dukakis, helmet on or helmet off, would have looked out of place in any military setting.
(CyberAlert, May 2)

 

NBC Misleads to Keep Friends Audience Tuned In

NBC didn't want viewers of their re-run Friends episode to change channels, so they misled them, claiming Friends would continue after a “brief” presidential address. But Bush's address lasted longer than the non-advertising content of the Friends repeat.
(CyberAlert, May 2)

 

MSNBC’s Matthews Impressed by Bush on Aircraft Carrier

President Bush’s aircraft carrier appearance impressed MSNBC's Chris Matthews, a former Democratic political operative and a vociferous opponent of Bush's Iraq policy. Before Bush's address from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, recalling Bush's arrival via Navy jet in full pilot's gear, Matthews raved about how “Americans love having a guy as President, a guy who has a little swagger” since “we like having a hero as our President.”
(CyberAlert, May 2)

 

Lauer Wonders if Carrier Landing Put “Symbolism Over Safety”

NBC’s Matt Lauer was upset that the White House was putting the President in a jet for maximum political impact. “Why take this risk with the Commander-in-Chief?” Lauer asked. 
(CyberAlert, May 2)

 

Museum Looting Not as Bad as Reported

After running multiple stories about how the U.S. military failed to protect Iraq’s national museum, ABC News suddenly discovered that the looting wasn’t as bad as reported. “The looting…may not have been as extensive as some people first reported,” anchor Peter Jennings told viewers.
(CyberAlert, May 2)

 

Times Reporter Criticizes War Coverage

New York Times reporter John Burns criticized the lack of coverage of Saddam Hussein's brutality. The reporting from Iraq, before and during the war, inadequately conveyed that the "dominant feature" of the country had been "fear and terror," Burns said.
(CyberAlert, May 1)

 

NBC Hires Richard Engel

Richard Engel spent his time in Baghdad as an ABC correspondent ignoring the “fear and terror” the New York Times’ John Burns talked about. That didn’t keep NBC from hiring him away, however.
(CyberAlert, May 1)

 

Navy Pilots Prefer Fox to CNN?

CNN’s Kyra Phillips, aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, visited the pilots’ ready room and found they were watching her network’s main rival. Phillips quickly dismissed it as part of the Navy system in which “you've got to get a little bit of every network.”
(CyberAlert, May 1)

 

Where’s the Media on Saddam’s Payoffs?

George Galloway, a prominent leftist member of the British Parliament was displayed on all three major networks in the last year opposing war on Iraq. But now that he's been revealed as a paid agent of Saddam Hussein, it’s been blacked out at ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, NPR, Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report.
(Media Reality Check, April 30)

 

Bush Critic was on Saddam’s Payroll

Before the war, ABC's Diane Sawyer used left-wing British politician George Galloway's anti-Bush comments as an example of European disgust with the U.S. Galloway, it turns out, was hardly a credible source. Captured Iraqi documents indicate he received money from the Hussein regime and he has admitted to siphoning money from a sick child's medical fund.
(CyberAlert, April 29)

 

Aziz Not Anti-Israel Enough for Helen Thomas

In 1984, then UPI White House correspondent Helen Thomas harangued former Iraq Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz for his regime’s “soft” approach to Israel. “Just yellow, I guess” Thomas responded when Aziz brushed off a question concerning the lack of retaliation for Israel’s attack on an Iraqi nuclear reactor.
(CyberAlert, April 29)

 

NBC “Disappointed” by Banfield’s Remarks

Ashleigh Banfield’s criticisms of the war coverage by cable news networks didn’t sit well with her bosses at NBC. NBC News issued a statement declaring their disappointment and indicating that they “will review her comments with her.”
(CyberAlert, April 29)

 

A Great Media Parody

The May 5 Weekly Standard provided a parody that captured the angst of the New York Times war reporting. The parody was an imaginary Times front page set after Americans won independence in 1781 and included headlines such as “Three Weeks After Yorktown, Still No Constitution Ready” and “Calvinists, Other Extremists Planning Theocracies.”
(CyberAlert, April 29)

 

Banfield Upset That “Horrors” of War Weren’t Shown

MSNBC’s Ashleigh Banfield, in a speech at Kansas State University, said the coverage neglected casualties and made the war look “like a courageous and terrific endeavor.” She also complained about “cable news operators who wrap themselves in the American flag.”
(CyberAlert, April 28)

 

Turner Calls Murdoch a “Warmonger”

CNN founder Ted Turner called Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch a “warmonger.” Turner, who is the largest shareholder in a company that owns a dozen cable channels and the largest weekly news magazine, complained that “the media is too concentrated, too few people own too much.”
(CyberAlert, April 28)

 

Saddam’s Fall Endangers Women's Rights

NBC reporter Mike Taibbi contended that even though Hussein’s regime “brutalized women” with “rape, torture, even beheadings,” it was a feminist pioneer among Middle Eastern governments.
(CyberAlert, April 23)

 

NPR Anchor Slams Media’s “Softball” Approach to Bush and War

At an awards ceremony at the University of Kentucky, NPR anchor Bob Edwards complained bitterly about media coverage of everything from President Bush to the war to the Dixie Chicks. The anchor added that present events remind him of “blacklisting” and the “Red scare.”
(CyberAlert, April 23)

 

Koppel Impressed With Military but Questions War Motives

Ted Koppel said he's "enormously impressed" with the U.S. military but questions whether the war was sound policy. "My level of cynicism about the reasons that took us to war against Iraq remain just as well developed as they were before I went," Koppel stated during an appearance at a National Press Club event.
(CyberAlert, April 22)

 

FNC’s Snow Takes Bite Out of NY Times’ Apple

When New York Times writer R.W. “Johnny” Apple wrote an article on war predictions and claimed “nobody got it quite right” Fox News Sunday moderator Tony Snow took exception. Just three weeks before, Snow noted, Apple had called the war plan a failure and brought up the specter of Vietnam.
(CyberAlert, April 22)

 

Times Burns Details Baghdad Reporting Difficulties

The New York Times John Burns was one of the best, if not the best, Baghdad correspondent during the war. In a front-page article for the Times, Burns described how difficult the working conditions were and the threats he received for reporting the truth.
(CyberAlert, April 22)

 

Moyers: Cheney’s a “Poster Boy” for Military-Industrial Complex

PBS's Bill Moyers condemned Vice President Cheney as someone who feeds "on the corpse of war." The former Lyndon Johnson aide further claimed that "corporate and political elites" like Cheney have privatized democracy and are reaping all the benefits. 
(CyberAlert, April 21)

 

ABC’s Obsessed with Blaming U.S. for Museum Looting

Peter Jennings and ABC News are still upset about the looting of the Baghdad Museum. “The U.S. did not act in accordance with international law to prevent it,” Jennings claimed. World News Tonight has three stories on the museum, Nightline one and Good Morning America another.
(CyberAlert, April 21)

 

Peter’s Sympathy for Hollywood Hypocrites

ABC painted a scary picture of Hollywood actors’ right to express themselves “under attack,” but left out any mention of Hollywood actors using boycotts and blacklists of their own.
(Media Reality Check, April 17)

 

ABC’s New McCarthyism

ABC News has ignored the vicious anti-war rants of left-wing celebrities. But when actor Tim Robbins complained about being "punished" for his unpopular views, Peter Jennings and company dedicated an entire segment to it and even compared a few “disinvites” to McCarthy-era “blacklists.”
(CyberAlert, April 17)

 

MSNBC’s Patriotic Programming

MSNBC has gone from disdaining pro-American programming to championing it.
(CyberAlert, April 17)

 

CNN’s Eason Jordan Defends Himself on PBS

CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan appeared on PBS’s Newshour and wrote another op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to defend himself. Jordan said claims that CCN kowtowed to the Hussein regime were “nonsense.”
(CyberAlert, April 17)

 

Brokaw Criticizes CNN

NBC anchor Tom Brokaw criticized CNN for keeping secrets and suggested viewers would wonder “what are they not telling us now?”
(CyberAlert, April 16)

 

The Post Pounds CNN

The Washington Post editorial page scolded CNN for not informing viewers of Saddam Hussein's true nature.
(CyberAlert, April 16)

 

Former CNN Reporter Claim Network “Groveled” to Remain in Iraq

The news just keeps getting worse for CNN. Former CNN President Tom Johnson groveled for an interview with Saddam Hussein and demanded that talking points from Hussein’s Ministry of Information be read on the air, according to an op-ed by former reporter Peter Collins.
(CyberAlert, April 16)

 

Can it Get Any Worse for CNN?

As he was leaving New York, Iraq’s Ambassador to the United Nations stopped and gave CNN reporter Richard Roth a big smooch and singled him out for special thanks. To make things worse, Fox News had the video.
(CyberAlert, April 16)

 

Thomas Worried About U.S. Credibility on Syria

Hearst Newspapers Helen Thomas was worried about American credibility with regards to Syria. Wouldn’t it help to provide evidence that they’re really harboring Iraqi regime fugitives?
(CyberAlert, April 16)

 

Networks Provide Mixed Messages

Independent reporting or another case of simply finding what you want to? ABC’s Dan Harris highlighted an Iraqi doctor who condemned the U.S. while CBS’s Dan Rather warned about Baghdad’s mood swings.
(CyberAlert, April 15)

 

More on Eason Jordan’s Confession

Franklin Foer penned an op-ed update to his New Republic piece that detailed how several networks traded the truth for access to Baghdad and Jordan sent a memo to CNN staffers defending his decisions. On another note, CNN refused to be part of a new U.S. government channel beaming into Iraq because it’s “independent.”
(CyberAlert, April 15)

 

ABC Ignores Pro-Troop Rallies But Covers Protesters

More proof of an anti-war agenda or a mere coincidence? World News Tonight ignored a couple of pro-troop rallies but highlighted a small gathering of "peace" activists in San Francisco. 
(CyberAlert, April 14)

 

Stephanopoulos: How Do You Answer Soldier’s Concern?

In an interview with Gen. Tommy Franks, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos used a quote from the Christian Science Monitor to relay a soldier’s angst over a one-sided fight against the Iraqis. “How do you answer that soldier,” Stephanopoulos asked.
(CyberAlert, April 14)

 

Answering Questions With Questions

In separate Sunday interviews, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Tommy Franks rejected the premises a couple of questions were based on. Rumsfeld’s question was from Tim Russert on NBC and concerned looting in Baghdad, while Frank’s question came from Wolf Blitzer and was about finding weapons of mass destruction.
(CyberAlert, April 14)

 

Fox News Sunday Castigates CNN’s Jordan

Fox News Sunday panel blasted CNN chief Eason Jordan for his admission that his network had covered up knowledge about Saddam Hussein’s brutality. Even their NPR panelists, Juan Williams and Mara Liasson, blasted the decision.
(CyberAlert, April 14)

 

Is Engel Gone?

Have we heard the last from ABC free-lancer Richard Engel in Baghdad? The weekend’s World News Tonight carried stories from correspondent Dan Harris, but not Engel.
(CyberAlert, April 14)

 

Washington Times Notes Television and Newspapers Were Wrong on Iraq War

More positive MRC impact. A front-page headline in the Sunday Washington Times recounted several examples of media doom from the special April 9 CyberAlert Extra “Media’s Erroneous Predictions” issue.
(CyberAlert, April 14)

 

Washington Post Stands by Original Quote from General

The New York Times ran a correction but the Post refused. The Times quoted Lt. Gen. William Wallace as saying “the enemy we’re fighting against is different from the one we war-gamed against.” The correction admitted that the actual phrase should have been “a bit different from the one we war-gamed against.” Post editors and reports stand by their quote without “a bit.”
(CyberAlert, April 14)

 

Engel: “Chaos” May Mean Time is Running Out for Americans

Barely 48 hours after U.S. forces captured Baghdad and ABC’s Richard Engel was highlighting Iraqi disillusionment. CBS’s Dan Rather, meanwhile, traveled to Baghdad and found people glad to be liberated and appreciative of the U.S.
(CyberAlert, April 12)

 

I Was Wrong…But Now the U.S. Has to Win the Peace

One week after suggesting that it could be a long war, ABC’s John McWethy said he was wrong. Sort of. “This plan to win the war has clearly worked better than anticipated,” he said. He added, however, that the plan to win the peace was still a “work in progress.”
(CyberAlert, April 12)

 

Jennings Showcase African Anti-War Protesters

A pro-troops rally of 15,000 in New York City doesn’t get Peter Jennings attention but an anti-war picture from Africa that read “KILL Bush, Blair, Rumsfeld and Powell, NOT INNOCENT IRAQI CIVILIANS” did.
(CyberAlert, April 12)

 

CNN Claims Americans Split on War

According to polls, the split was about 80-20 but that didn’t matter to CNN who mentioned the pro-war rally in the same breath as anti-war vandals who were spray-painting “No War” on SUVs.
(CyberAlert, April 12)

 

FNC Panel Denounces CNN Chief’s Iraq Admissions

CNN’s Eason Jordan was denounced on FNC’s Special Report with Brit Hume for admitting his network had withheld information about Saddam Hussein’s brutality in order to keep its access to Iraq.
(CyberAlert, April 12)

 

British Journalist Takes Shot at “Baghdad Bob”

Geoff Meade of Sky News asked if the card deck of the 55 most wanted former Iraqi government officials included the Information Minister who gave the ludicrous briefs in the days before the fall of Baghdad. “Every pack needs a joker,” he quipped.
(CyberAlert, April 12)

 

Jennings Ignores NYC Pro-Troops Rally

No anti-war protest has been too small for Jennings and ABC to cover but a pro-troops rally that drew 15,000 in New York City didn’t get a mention. NBC and CBS, as well as the three cable networks, did short pieces on the event.
(CyberAlert, April 11)

 

Couric Asks Marine’s Family if Flag Was a Mistake

A strange question. Today’s Katie Couric asked the family of the Marine who put the U.S. flag on the Saddam statue that was tore down if they thought “he made any kind of mistake by doing it or did you still feel very proud of him.”
(CyberAlert, April 11)

 

Koppel Chides International News Agencies

ABC’s Ted Koppel found media bias – in the Middle Eastern and international news agencies. He chided them for giving equal weight to American and Iraqi claims.
(CyberAlert, April 11)

 

Olbermann Mocks Media Mis-predictions

MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann mocked the forecasts of those who predicted disaster for the coalition.
(CyberAlert, April 11)

 

Jennings Has Tough Time with “Liberators”

Despite the joyous scenes on the streets of Baghdad, ABC’s Peter Jennings just couldn’t bring himself to call American forces “liberator” unless it was couched in terms such as “many say” or “others think.”
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

ABC: Arab Media Views U.S. as Occupiers

Baghdad's fall meant freedom for millions of Iraqis but what did the neighbors think? ABC News correspondent Cynthia McFadden said Arabs were concerned about American “domination” and reporter Robert Krulwich claimed that if the U.S. flag had been on Saddam's statue when it fell, it would have been seen as “an image of American conquest.” 
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

Jennings: Was Saddam Sensitive?

ABC’s Peter Jennings wondered if the murdering tyrant ever understood “what people thought about him?”
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

Koppel Says “Hard Part” is Still Ahead

One month earlier, ABC’s Ted Koppel had predicted a “very tough and bloody war” that would be far longer than Haiti, Panama or Bonsnia. After Baghdad fell in 21 days, Koppel made another, albeit much safer, prediction. The “hard part” is still ahead of U.S. forces, he said.
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

A Couple of Mea Culpas

ABC reporter Richard Engel admitted Iraqis had controlled journalists in Baghdad and told U.S. Marines that he felt a lot safer with them in town. On NBC, former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft conceded that he had had second thoughts about earlier criticisms about the war.
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

Jennings: Hussein Sculptor Out of Work

Seriously. Hussein is, or was, a vain man, Peter Jennings mused, but he had sculptures made of himself in every conceivable costume and in some he’s fat and in others he’s lean. There was one sculptor busy making a new one of Hussein but the war put an end to that.
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

NBC’s Sourpuss Coverage

The Saddam statue came down, thousands rejoiced and NBC News insisted that the enthusiasm be curbed. One reporter quickly asked a military spokesman if putting the American flag on the Saddam statue was “disservice” and an Arab journalist spouted off at length about U.S. foreign policy.
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

Iraqi Minders Controlled Media

Now they admit what everyone already knew. Reporters from ABC, a German outlet and Sky TV all celebrated after the Saddam Hussein’s henchmen left Baghdad. The regime’s media minders had kept them from reporting the truth, they said.
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

Minders Must Have Liked This Story

The day after Iraqi TV showed the video of Saddam Hussein walking through a cheering crowd, CBS’s Lara Logan reported that it had “buoyed” the Iraqi people.
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

Cronkite Still Against the War

Former CBS anchor Walter Cronkite reiterated his opposition to President Bush and the war with Iraq in a speech at a North Carolina college.
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

Iraq Victory Means Stopping the Tax Cut

Barely two hours after celebrating the toppling the Saddam statue, NBC’s Tom Brokaw and Tim Russert turned on the proposed Bush tax cuts, citing the opposition of the New York Times and Arizona Senator John McCain.
(CyberAlert, April 10)

 

ABC: U.S. Suffers “Another Setback”

World News Tonight dedicated five minutes to a tragic accident that killed two journalists and described the incident as “another setback” for the U.S. The story also included expert commentary from none other than the recently disgraced Peter Arnett.
(CyberAlert, April 9)

 

“War is Dangerous” Comment Angers Reporters

CBS correspondent Lara Logan and CNN’s Christiane Amanpour were upset with Pentagon spokesperson Torie Clark’s advice that a war zone is a dangerous place.
(CyberAlert, April 9)

 

Far Left Editor Irritates NBC’s David Gregory

When Katrina Vanden Heuvel called the war in Iraq “a war of aggression” on The Chris Matthews Show, NBC White House reporter David Gregory took exception. “I think that’s an irresponsible statement,” Gregory said.
(CyberAlert, April 9)

 

Saddam’s Militia Just Like the “Minutemen”?

Reuters – who else? – ran a story comparing American soldiers in the Revolutionary War to Saddam’s militia.
(CyberAlert, April 9)

 

CBS Correspondent Lectures U.S.

CBS's Lara Logan portrayed an American air strike in Baghdad as an attack on civilians and her story included a man who called President Bush a liar. When the U.S. said Saddam Hussein may have been in the targeted home, Logan opined that such actions made it difficult to win “hearts and minds.”
(CyberAlert, April 8)

 

NBC: Saddam’s Street Scene Was Taped

NBC Pentagon reporter Jim Miklaszewski reported that intelligence analysts have determined that Saddam Hussein’s widely-show walk around Baghdad was filmed in early March.
(CyberAlert, April 8)

 

Hume’s Favorite Journalist Question of the War

FNC’s Brit Hume re-played his favorite question of the war on Special Report with Brit Hume. “If Iraq was so unable to defend itself, was it really the threat to the world on which this whole war was predicated?” asked Geoff Meade of Sky News.
(CyberAlert, April 8)

 

Clift: NBC Should Have Kept Arnett

Newsweek’s Eleanor Clift questioned NBC’s firing of Peter Arnett. According to Clift, he made an “error in judgment” but NBC “could have been big enough to accept the apology.”
(CyberAlert, April 8)

 

“Scud Stud” Takes Aim at America

The History Channel’s Arthur Kent – he was the “scud stud” in the first Gulf War – went on CNN’s Larry King Live and bashed the American military. “There is too much civilian death going on here and the U.S. military flunked, flunked the test of devising a way to have an inside-outside removal of this regime,” he said.
(CyberAlert, April 8)

 

Jennings Repeats Himself

ABC anchor Peter Jennings used an al-Jazeera report about an American bombing that killed 18 civilians on two successive nights.
(CyberAlert, April 5)

 

Jennings Still Predicting Long War

When ABC’s John McWethy reported it could be “a long war” Jennings answered that many people had anticipated just that. Meanwhile on CBS, Pentagon reporter David Martin was reporting that most of Saddam’s divisions had been destroyed.
(CyberAlert, April 5)

 

ABC Executive Wary of Pro-U.S. Sentiment

World News Tonight’s Executive Producer told the New York Times he was as wary of pro-American sentiment as he was of pro-Saddam sentiment.
(CyberAlert, April 5)

 

Koppel: “Modestly Enthusiastic Onlookers”

CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News and the New York Times all said American soldiers and Marines received a warm welcome as they moved toward Baghdad. But not ABC’s Ted Koppel, who called the reception “modestly enthusiastic.”
(CyberAlert, April 4)

 

Engel-Jennings Tag Team Strikes Again

ABC’s Richard Engel reported from Baghdad that a woman became terrified by bombing and went into labor. Anchor Peter Jennings, meanwhile, recited a handful of uncorroborated numbers to illustrate the pain the coalition has inflicted.
(CyberAlert, April 4)

 

Olbermann: Gas Station Give-Away Equivalent to Hussein’s Government

MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann came up with a ridiculous analogy when he claimed a harmless sales ploy by a gas station – the station gave away $5 worth of gas if cars had a flag on them – and the Iraqi regime were similar because both “purchased patriotism.”
(CyberAlert, April 4)

 

Clift: War of Conquest Not Liberation

In between Fox News reports of Iraqis cheering Americans, Newsweek’s Eleanor Clift insisted that the war looked more like “a war of conquest than a war of liberation.”
(CyberAlert, April 4)

 

Human Shield Sees No Dictatorship in Iraq

CNN highlighted the lunatic fringe. Tom Cahill, a human shield, told Wolf Blitzer that he didn’t see any evidence of a dictatorship in Iraq except for the fact that there were “a lot of soldiers and an awful lot of pictures of Saddam Hussein.”
(CyberAlert, April 4)

 

Jennings Lauds Coalition Success

What! Even ABC’s Peter Jennings was proclaiming coalition success and mocking Iraqi claims of victory after the 3rd Infantry Division and 1st Marine Division chewed up Republican Guard units outside Baghdad.
(CyberAlert, April 3)

 

ABC Views Iraqi Support as Novel Event

NBC’s Dana Lewis told of Iraqis waving American flags and coming out of their homes to touch the U.S. soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division. Peter Jennings didn’t see that, however, as he opined that “given the choice between irregulars and the Americans, much of the local population seemed to be with the Americans.”
(CyberAlert, April 3)

 

A Baghdad Opinion Poll

ABC's Richard Engel provided viewers with what passes for public opinion in a police state. "Who asked for America to liberate us?" an unidentified Iraqi scoffed during an outdoor interview. Engel also relayed Iraqi claims about suicide bombers and damage to civilian sites.
(CyberAlert, April 3)

 

Williams Changes Tune

The day the bombing started, NBC’s Brian Williams compared it to Dresden and the Tokyo fire bombings but after a couple of weeks and some pointed criticism, he changed his tune. “Dresden and Tokyo in World War II were meant to kill civilians and then terrorize survivors. Here we’ve seen the opposite happen.”
(CyberAlert, April 3)

 

Former CNN Anchor Supports War

Former CNN anchor Bernard Shaw told the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Gail Shister that he thinks the Iraq war is vital to national security.
(CyberAlert, April 3)

 

Americans “Remarkably Consistent” in Support of War

The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reviewed several polls and concluded that “there is broad support for the war” and that the attitudes have been “remarkably consistent over the first two weeks.”
(CyberAlert, April 3)

 

Pessimistic Peter

ABC News anchor Peter Jennings continues to emphasize the negative, relaying a report that one American unit had moved into an area where Iraqis no longer waved at passing troops. A few minutes later, however, ABC's Pentagon correspondent John McWethy contradicted Jennings' negativity, reporting that Iraqi civilians were starting to help coalition forces find weapons and Hussein loyalists.
(CyberAlert, April 2)

 

McCaffrey Versus McCaffrey

Retired General Barry McCaffrey provided two views of the war plan on the same day.
(CyberAlert, April 2)

 

Whoops…TV Guide Claims Arnett is the “Comeback Kid”

Talk about bad timing. A headline over a TV Guide story claimed Peter Arnett was the “comeback kid” at the age of 68 for his work in Baghdad. The issue arrived in homes just a few days after NBC sacked the America-bashing journalist for his interview with Saddam’s henchmen.
(CyberAlert, April 2)

 

FNC’s Barnes Thinks Rivera Needs to go if He’s a “Distraction”

Geraldo Rivera didn’t get much support from fellow Fox News Channel staffer Fred Barnes. In an appearance on Special Report with Brit Hume, Barnes said that if Rivera had become a “distraction,” he needed to be escorted out of the war zone.
(CyberAlert, April 2)

 

Reject Bush’s Tax Cut Because of the War

Both NBC’s Tim Russert and ABC’s George Stephanopoulos suggested on their Sunday programs that war means we cannot “afford” another tax cut.
(CyberAlert, April 2)

 

Arnett Immediately Hired by Anti-American British Tabloid

Peter Arnett was canned by NBC and immediately nabbed by the anti-American Daily Mirror, headquartered in London. In his first article, Arnett blamed his firing on the “right-wing” press and the U.S. government.
(CyberAlert, April 1)

 

MRC: Media Tougher on American Leaders

NBC's Nightly News used Peter Arnett's dismissal to generate a story about dissent and patriotism during war. MRC Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham was interviewed for the piece and noted that reporters are often more skeptical of American leaders than Iraqi leaders. 
(CyberAlert, April 1)

 

Newsweek’s “Conventional Wisdom” Turns Vicious

Newsweek magazine is ready to run. In its conventional wisdom box, it gave President Bush a down arrow because his war “cluelessly flings open the gates of hell.”
(CyberAlert, April 1)

 

Never Too Early to Talk About Another Vietnam

Seymour Hersh appeared on Today to expound on his New Yorker article about Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his supposed demand that the number of troops be reduced for the invasion of Iraq. Hersh quickly compared Iraq to Vietnam.
(CyberAlert, April 1)

 

AP Reporter Worries That U.S. is “Demonizing” Iraqi Para-Military Units

AP reporter Nicole Winfield asked at a Central Command briefing why the coalition is “demonizing” Iraqi paramilitary units by calling them “terrorist death squads.”
(CyberAlert, April 1)


 

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