Sensationalism

[MonaVox]

Last nite I was watching the Ravens/Broncos game (not a huge fan of either but AWESOME FRIGGIN GAME anyway....esp. first half....) with my friends Matthew and Jason

So this commerical comes on and it's fer the news broadcast following the game and it's something like

THE SHOWDOWN WITH IRAQ!
NEW PICTURES AND UPDATES

And they show a tank or something blowing up or something being bombed....

And the three of us FREEZE. We're like....WTF IS GOING ON. Obviously there's been a lot going on over there, but did SOMEthing just HAPPEN?!

It just seemed like a big change or some big event had happened

So Matthew checks the news online and it was basically NOTHING new. The latest headline then was something about U.N. talks...

I mean it's not enough that we're close enough to D.C. to be freaked out by all this.... but this is like borderline sensationalism.... it was a VERY disturbing image, and if you had heard the announcer's voice-- it was like it was advertising a movie or something. It turned out to be basically nothing new? How can they show pictures of things being destroyed and hype it like a movie .... and not expect ppl to freak out? It was insane....

I just had to rant about this
it was SCARY and then it seemed really stupid

 

[daisybean]

Mona remember CNN's coverage of Desert Storm.....it had that video game feel to it....

I think the "news" media has to compete so much that they have to sensationalize things to get ratings. It's sickening that they have to make a war look like an action movie in order for people to be interested in it, to get people to care.

 

[Lilly]

news is entertainment here.


as sick as it is, it's true. the average american isn't interested in peacetalks, but will take note if they see something on fire. immediacy is important.


it's pathetic

 

[MonaVox]

I think the "news" media has to compete so much that they have to sensationalize things to get ratings.

You're right......and I'm hulking out

I know that there's a lot of stuff going on in the world now..... but it's like when the terrorist warning level or whatever it's called... they'd have code yellow, code red, just things that did nothing but freak people out.

So if there's ever another REAL big problem, how long will it take us to believe it after all this?

 

[Lilly]

we were at amber (uhh, that's the higher yellow... cos it's bright to have 2 yellows ) for september 11th and almost a week afterward. why, you may ask, did they take it down a level? ahh yes, to not freak people out.


the coloring system is such a joke. i'm so glad my tax money went into its development.

 

[Dreadsox]

Dang it all I was ripped about the news this morning as well. The pictures they were showing on the news were from weeks ago if I am not mistaken. The European press has been reporting about US and British Air Strikes involving 100's of planes on Iraqi sites. You all know I am not opposed to this......

However, the video my four year old was watching while I showered and shaved (sorry for the immage) ended and the news popped on. My daughter, screams to me...Daddy something bad is happening some quick. I rush to the TV. It was the footage of the missles being fired at our planes. This does not need to be on. As a matter of fact, this has been going on for the past 10 years and is nothing new! This is pure PR spin and is annoying.

There...now I can go cook supper.

Peace to all.

 

[TylerDurden]

This is pure PR spin and is annoying.

Yeah, I thought that was a little obvious. So on one day the US govt is boasting about 2000+ bombing runs over Iraq, and a few days later complaining because they are sometimes getting shot at? Is this supposed to make you jump up and down and scream "Damn evil Iraqis! Thats proof!! We have to invade!!!"
They probably think that every bombing run now is the start of an invasion. It's self defence. Rumsfeld looked like he was going to burst into tears at that press conference. But it makes you wonder, if thats the best anti-Iraq footage they have, it's not so good.

 

[STING2]

Actually, Rumsfeld had a very good point. These planes are enforcing the United Nations No Fly Zone over Northern Iraq and Southern Iraq. These No Fly Zone's deny Iraq the ability to target with their aircraft Shiah's in the south and Kurds in the North. It also makes it difficult for the Iraqi military to get intelligence on certain Shiah and Kurdish groups.

As far as bombing, bombs are only dropped on Iraqi Air Defense sites that fire at coalition aircraft flying on a UNITED NATIONS approved mission. Self defense by Iraq?! Thats absurd, unless you think the United Nations "no fly zone" is not legal.

The fact that Iraq has fired thousands of times at coalition aircraft on a legal UN mission, is something that many American citizens are unaware of so I don't see anything wrong with displaying these facts on TV. But instead of being confused by the media, I'd suggest that people stay ahead of it by doing research on their own. That way, a sudden clip on TV taken out of its proper context, will only seem absurd rather than seeming like a shocking revalation.

 

[Dreadsox]

Actually, Rumsfeld had a very good point. These planes are enforcing the United Nations No Fly Zone over Northern Iraq and Southern Iraq. These No Fly Zone's deny Iraq the ability to target with their aircraft Shiah's in the south and Kurds in the North. It also makes it difficult for the Iraqi military to get intelligence on certain Shiah and Kurdish groups.

As I stated I agree with this. Needs to be done. However, our press does not educate they sensationalize. You and I may know and understand that this has been going on for years. However, the political spin by the United States press, does not tell the whole story, making this incident seem more than it is.

Originally posted by STING2 As far as bombing, bombs are only dropped on Iraqi Air Defense sites that fire at coalition aircraft flying on a UNITED NATIONS approved mission. Self defense by Iraq?! Thats absurd, unless you think the United Nations "no fly zone" is not legal. [/B]

I must have missed someone saying this. I didn't. I agree with you.

Originally posted by STING2 The fact that Iraq has fired thousands of times at coalition aircraft on a legal UN mission, is something that many American citizens are unaware of so I don't see anything wrong with displaying these facts on TV. But instead of being confused by the media, I'd suggest that people stay ahead of it by doing research on their own. That way, a sudden clip on TV taken out of its proper context, will only seem absurd rather than seeming like a shocking revalation. [/B]

Sounds good. However, the average American, does not read foreign news, listens to a less than two minute blurb on the TV, and makes a sweeping judgement, the FACTS be damned. The press sensationalized this incident.

 

[brettig]

Might I add that this 'important footage' released by the US government is two years old...

 

[STING2]

...but is an example of what happens on an average day in the No Fly Zone.

 

[Salome]

makes you wonder what happens down there on a more than avarage day

then again, I wasn't even aware of "The fact that Iraq has fired thousands of times at coalition aircraft on a legal UN mission"

 

[STING2]

Well it certainly wasn't unknown to most people I know especially those that I know in the US military. I remember Iraq firing at coalition aircraft patrolling the UN No Fly Zones all the way back in 1992.

 

[TylerDurden]

That way, a sudden clip on TV taken out of its proper context, will only seem absurd rather than seeming like a shocking revalation.

That was my point, it's no shocking revelation. I've seen it in the news dozens of times over the last 10 years, but this is the first time there has been video footage, for no apparent reason other then to get a bit of footage of aggressive Iraqis on tv and drive the old war opinion polls up a few % points. Im not saying the US is wrong or stupid for doing it, every government does it, but the timing is obvious.

 

[Salome]

Well it certainly wasn't unknown to most people I know

ah well then it's just me

still "Iraq has fired thousands of times at coalition aircraft on a legal UN mission":
for the sake of arguement lets say:
2000 times
since 1970 (which makes no sense, but it will make the math easy)

1970 - 2003: 33 * 365 days = 12,045 days
so let's say 12,050

2,000 / 12,050 = 0.166

let's say that instead of firing just once Iraq fires 10 times at one aircraft

that would mean that on avarage about once every 60 days Iraq has fired at a coalition aircraft on a legal UN mission since 1970


I really didn't know this
media coverage has been lacking on this subject over here
(or I don't watch the news often enough which can also be true)

 

[Dreadsox]

It's not you. The fact is that the press in general stops reporting things like this.

People in the military or with more connections to the military are more likely to be aware of things like this.


Peace to all.

 

[STING2]

The UN No Fly Zone in the North and South was started in 1991 NOT 1970.

 

[Salome]

for the sake of arguement lets say:
2000 times
since 1991

1991 - 2003: 12 * 365 days = 4,380 days

2,000 / 4,380 = 0.4566

let's say that instead of firing just once Iraq fires 10 times at one aircraft

that would mean that on avarage more than once every 20 days Iraq has fired at a coalition aircraft on a legal UN mission since 1991


I really didn't know this
media coverage has been lacking on this subject over here
(or I don't watch the news often enough which can also be true)

 

[adamswildhoney]

the coloring system is such a joke. i'm so glad my tax money went into its development.

Its a total joke!

 

[STING2]

Trust me, I'm not pulling this out of the air, and no its not been front page news because its seen as routine by the media. Not a single Coalition aircraft has ever been hit which is remarkable.

I'd say that some months, Coalition aircraft are fired at nearly everyday with a wide variety of weapons systems. Mainly airdefense guns though, rather than missiles. The US government invest several hundred million dollars on the No Fly Zones every year. Its not a secret, and is part of the congressional record hear in the USA.