US Casualties in Iraq
Tomorrow night ABC's Nightline will broadcast the names and pictures of America casualties due to hostilities in Iraq. In response, one company that owns eight ABC stations has ordered its stations to not air the show.
A show that solely consists of the names and pictures of dead soldiers seems on the surface like a condemnation of the use of military force. Aside from the unusually blantant display of corporate bias in the media, to me this highlights an interesting dilemma. On one hand, media presence in conflict worldwide has seemed to foster a growing abhorrance in the developed world for 'friendly' casualties in any military action. This strains the world communities' already weak position in dealing with peace-keeping and intervention in human rights crises. I think it is a negative trend, and we should oppose it. On the other hand, the specific intervention of the US in Iraq has seemed poorly managed, burdened by leadership that appears at times deceptive and with suspicious motives. So major media shining a light there would seem to be a good thing.
As I said: a dilemma.
Comments
Richard Tallent has some interesting thoughts that are related:
http://www.tallent.us/PermaLink.aspx?guid=cf7fc35e-6819-4085-b7bb-da5b6affa93f
http://www.tallent.us/PermaLink.aspx?guid=26ffa0e7-df2c-45fa-b722-084667007f74
Richard has a lot of interesting stuff to say.
There's also this too-close-to-the-truth-to-be-really-funny article on The Onion:
http://www.theonion.com/news/index.php?issue=4016&n=0&id=3588
Posted by: Steve Clarke | April 30, 2004 12:29 PM