Friday, June 11, 2004
The first casualty of war is truth
In times of war, we are highly dependent on the news media to tell us what's going on. Unfortunately, the media is not without its biases and many doubt that they are giving us the 'whole story.'
Bert Kinzey is a former Army officer who became an expert in military aviation. Included in his publications was a book about the Gulf War shortly after it ended in 1991. While the book's primary focus was on the air war, much of it also addressed the news coverage of the war.
Kinzey says there were two big losers during that war; Iraq and the news media.
Kinzey has recently written a further critique of the media, particularly CNN in relation to its coverage of the war in Iraq. It's been doing the rounds like a chain letter, sometimes being modified in the process. A verified version of the letter can be found here.
Kinzey says CNN's lies and inaccuracies are even more common than they were in 1991. Their bias is also beyond belief. "While everyone, including news organizations, have their own bias, it is neither professional nor honest to concentrate almost exclusively on one side of an issue, particularly one so important as this. To do so presents an inaccurate and dishonest view of what is actually happening, and this does not allow viewers to form informed and valid opinions."
In times of war, we are highly dependent on the news media to tell us what's going on. Unfortunately, the media is not without its biases and many doubt that they are giving us the 'whole story.'
Bert Kinzey is a former Army officer who became an expert in military aviation. Included in his publications was a book about the Gulf War shortly after it ended in 1991. While the book's primary focus was on the air war, much of it also addressed the news coverage of the war.
Kinzey says there were two big losers during that war; Iraq and the news media.
Kinzey has recently written a further critique of the media, particularly CNN in relation to its coverage of the war in Iraq. It's been doing the rounds like a chain letter, sometimes being modified in the process. A verified version of the letter can be found here.
Kinzey says CNN's lies and inaccuracies are even more common than they were in 1991. Their bias is also beyond belief. "While everyone, including news organizations, have their own bias, it is neither professional nor honest to concentrate almost exclusively on one side of an issue, particularly one so important as this. To do so presents an inaccurate and dishonest view of what is actually happening, and this does not allow viewers to form informed and valid opinions."
