Dan Rather Suggests Bush Is Manipulating The Media?
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Dan Rather Suggests Bush Is Manipulating The Media?
Thu Jul 1, 2004 22:54
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Dan Rather Suggests Bush Is Manipulating The Media?
Address: http://www.rense.com/general54/manipu.htm
While appearing on the "Larry King Show" last night, nary a word was
said after Dan Rather suggested that the "Bush Administration" was
manipulating the media, i.e., the "wire services" (and others) in
regards to the "accurate number" of causalities being reported in Iraq!
To wit, Rather stated, ". . . Larry, let's point out that the
administration and one can like it or not like it, they just about
convinced the wire services and others [emphasis added] only to carry
the killed in actual combat rather than the total number of casualties
killed in the country."
Last night's "panel" on King's show, along with Rather, included "
Senator John McCain, journalist/author Bob Woodward, as well as CNN
reporter on location in Bagdag, Anderson Cooper. Astonishingly, after
Rather made his comment, King went to commercial, and upon return, no
one remarked on the suggested "manipulation of the media" by the Bush
administration as pointed out by Rather.
One would have imagined that King would have interrupted Rather, and
asked him to clarify himself; e.g., "are you saying Dan, that the Bush
administration is involved in 'altering the truth' in terms of what is
really happening and being reported in Iraq?" Moreover, since the panel
consisted of two journalists and a Senator, one would think that
Rather's statement would at the very least have drawn some inquires, yet
that didn't happen either.
Apparently tampering with the rights guaranteed to all Americans didn't
merit conversation by the panel in attendance. Rather went on to say, "
. . . I don't want to make a big thing of it, but frankly I think that's
unworthy of a great country such as ourselves. We had more than 800
young men and women killed here. Each and every one of them came here,
did their service. And whether they're officially classified as having
died in combat or not, you know, the number is 800. That's the number.
And that's the number of families who have something missing at the
table, missing around the house. . . "
Since "public opinion is shaped by what people absorb in the media" it
doesn't take a rocket scientist to point out the magnitude of the act in
"omitting the facts" in reporting the news. "Omission of the facts," and
or it's partner "propaganda" is what we expect from countries who's
people don't share the rights that we are "supposed to have," which is
guaranteed by our Constitution.
Moreover, the thought that "any news organization would voluntary alter
and or omit the facts" from it's reports it quite frankly appalling! The
desire of the Bush administration to not want to publicize the negative
aspects of the war they have initiated is no surprise, however; acts
affecting the "freedom of the press" and or "free speech" by our elected
officials is, to be blunt, "frightening!"
Finally, although questions weren't asked by the panel, or Larry King
last night, Rather's statement certainly invokes many; one big one is,
"if the 'Wire Services' (and others) have 'omitted' and or altered the
facts in reporting the news to the American public at the request of the
White House--how often has this happened, and to what extent?"
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