Why is the media reporting "good news" in Iraq?

[Greenwood]

Unreal. I saw it all weekend long in the news. ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN. The right wingers have talk radio and we have the media. If we lose the media we are in big trouble and that has been the one thing I feel secure in. And now the media is reporting that Iraq is improving???? Has anyone else noticed this????

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Because they're being deceptive...

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003677269

Ricks of 'Wash Post': Don't Celebrate Turnaround in Iraq Just Yet

By E&P Staff

Published: November 24, 2007 10:55 AM ET

NEW YORK Thomas Ricks of The Washington Post has been one of the level-headed, and accurate, reporters on the Iraq war since its inception. His book "Fiasco" was one of the best on the subject.

Just back from Baghdad again, he sat for a www.washingtonpost.com online chat this week, in which he frequently warned that, despite gains, no one should get too excited about the "turnaround" in U.S. fortunes in Iraq. Here are a few highlights.
*

Boonsboro, Md.: When will it be okay to state that we are winning in Iraq and all the naysayers ("the war is lost") were wrong? Even the New York Times is admitting things are going well.

Thomas E. Ricks: Well, things are going better. I just got back from Baghdad last week, and it was clear that violence has decreased. But it hasn't gone away. It is only back down to the 2005 level -- which to my mind is kind of like moving from the eighth circle of hell to the fifth.

I interviewed dozens of officers and none were willing to say we are winning. What they were saying is that at least now, we are not losing. But to a man, they were enormously frustrated by what they see as the foot-dragging of the Baghdad government.
</snip>

More at link - I'd believe Ricks over the corporate media anyday...

[AlertLurker]

15. They are really gonna have to catapult it for the next 12 months...

They desparately need the polls to be plausibly close enough to steal the WH unopposed again...

[anniebelle]

2. Yes, everywhere I turned, even Michael Ware!

If you really listen hard, you can feel the hesitation in Michael's 'good news' reports from Baghdad. Everybody else has jumped on the 'surge is working' bandwagon.:puke:

[stellanoir]

3. *'s amazing legacy of peace is also bring promoted.

:puke:

I will be curious to see what sort of coverage will be on this upcoming show. . .

http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2007/11/20071126_a_main.asp

The regular host is recovering from recent surgery so I don't know who will be filling in but since it's broadcast from Boston it's not quite as RW as much of NPR has become in recent years.

[Evergreen Emerald]

4. If we loose the media? Dude, the media is right-wing propaganda

We lost the media in the Clinton era when the constant lies and distortions were aired as if fact, with no actual reporting or investigating. The Iraq war was sold to us like a bill of goods by the media who just regurgitated right-wing talking points faxed to them every morning by Cheney.

The current media is full of negative stories about the democratic candidates, with nothing but positive on the republicans. They will stoop to airing stories about Edwards hair cut and have never ran a story on the cross-dressing of Giuliani.

There is no "liberal media." And the proof is in the current positive stories on Iraq: the killing may be lessened, but that will only last if continue ethnic cleansing with the help of those who support Iran. There has been little stories on those facts. There has been NO NONE, ZIP, political solution. No attempt by Bush, no attempt by the "government" of Iraq. And yet, the stories are positive. The media is continuing to lie to us.

"If we loose the media?" Dude, you gave yourself away.

[robbedvoter]

6. I'd go as far to say - it was never "ours" - just before the big monopolies

there was a meager diversity of opinion peeking through...Now it's one agenda only - and it's been that way since before Clinton (although it became obvious then and next during the 2000 coup)

[zbdent]

13. Probably can be pinpointed at the moment that the rules were bent to

allow Rupert Murdoch, a non-citizen, to own so many media outlets, along with the moment that Ted Turner was thrown out of the network that he created ...

[L0oniX]

5. CBS NBC ABC FOX MSN CNN ...enemies of the people

[Arkansas Granny]

7. What makes you think that we have the media?

The media serves corporate interests, not the public.

[patrice]

8. ????????? "We have the media" ??????????????

If you can't tell by just watching, look into any good Social Science research database, you'll find Media nearly ALWAYS follows the Government line.

P.S. "The Good News" is that the next generation of murderous DICTATORS is on its feet.

[hadrons]

9. Why???, because its the story the corporate media WANTS to report ....

This is the storyline they WANT and the shills will grab onto anything that feeds their illusions (and also to make their elite masters happy)

[doc03]

10. I believe by election time next year the

war in Iraq will have little effect on the voting. It appears the MSM media is going to play up this surge is working the coming election year. I think the Iraq war is going to be way down the list of issues in the next election. If the MSM media stops reporting all the bad news and only points out the success of the surge they can fool most of the people into believing Bush was right in the long run. In my opinion that is going to be the MSM spin next year. Maybe we will care but the majority of the American public is easy to fool. Most guys can tell you who is quarterback on every NFL team and spew out a bunch of statistics about football but still think Saddam was responsible for 911.

[CrispyQ]

11. A recent visit with my sis & her husband

revealed that my BIL didn't know about the drought in Atlanta or the superbug, but he knew what teams were playing that weekend.

We are so fucked.

[K Gardner]

12. They want people to be HAPPY and spend more $$ for holidays..

God only knows, We the People could not bear to hear the Truth. The MSM, in their infinite wisdom, realizes this. They are, alas, our filter from that nasty world out there that their corporate masters & lackeys have led us into. People who are scared and unhappy don't spend, won't have a happy cheery Merry Christmas. We should thank them for protecting us from the truth. (don't have a sarcasm jpg)

[ingac70]

14. We have the media? That's a big fat lie....

The corporate whores that run the "media" also run talk radio. Gotta keep those talking points floating along.

[zulchzulu]

16. In order to start the war with Iran, you need to spin that the war in Iraq is going "well"

The mainstream media looks forward to adding another bonanza ratings year!

[LibDemAlways]

17. Because there are millions of gullible morons out there who think

the corporate media is telling them the truth, when, in fact, the corporate media is bought and paid for by the right wing and is mostly government propaganda.

If they decided to report that Bush walked on water this weekend, the idiots would believe that, too.

[Vickers]

18. "we have the media" That wouldn't be....the LIBERAL media, now would it?

:eyes: