i came home from work last night around midnight and watched a little bit of tv before going to bed. but my late-night talk shows were nowhere to be found. if you also tuned in, you were able to see every major american network had an 'exclusive' live report from a journalist embedded with a regiment.
now, this struck me both as slimy (the 'exclusive' tag has been thrown around way too much these days; and not only with the war; as soon as someone as an interview with anyone they call it exclusive. of course it's exclusive since that's the only place you'll see that particular interview but that moniker really should be reserved for more extraordinary circumstances than the milkman's opinion on anything) and an unconscious self-parody on the part of the reporters.
we're definitely deeper into three kings territory than with the first gulf war.
the reporters don't know what the fuck they're into half the time. remember, these are not marines or trained soldiers here, they don't know what war really is outside of that little three-week training the army gave them. also, their only sources are pretty much the soldiers and commanders as they are sorely isolated inside the army machine.
remember, there are not news channels inside tanks.
they only get their news from the 'official' sources.
definitely three kings in the absurd seriousness they find themselves in.
and all of this just so we can feel (the audience) 'part' of the war and make a little money for the network.
i had a hard time taking them seriously as they're obviously just thrown in there as sitting ducks.
sure the army gives them access, but only limited access; see, for one, in order for a journalist to even be considered they had to give the army their sat phone id.
the official army reason?
so they can make sure the journalists get a good reception.
yep, that's really the official line they're giving.
Posted by Anonymous | 9:55 AM
