January 18, 2005
MAJOR CONTENT ANNOUNCEMENT - The Whole Truth Series
Did you already see this? Lieutenant Colonel Tim Ryan takes the press to task for its poor and lopsided coverage of events in Iraq:
Just read yet another distorted and grossly exaggerated story from a major news organization about the "failures" in the war in Iraq. Print and video journalists are covering only a small fraction of the events in Iraq and more often than not, the events they cover are only the bad ones. Many of the journalists making public assessments about the progress of the war in Iraq are unqualified to do so, given their training and experience. The inaccurate picture they paint has distorted the world view of the daily realities in Iraq. The result is a further erosion of international public support for the United States' efforts there, and a strengthening of the insurgents' resolve and recruiting efforts while weakening our own. Through their incomplete, uninformed and unbalanced reporting, many members of the media covering the war in Iraq are aiding and abetting the enemy.How does this make you feel? Disagree? Knew as much all along?
Well, it made this blogger angry. Call it a well-worded straw to break the camel's back. Read the whole post. I have received several emails just like this one. Some I've posted on the site here. Each tells a story you don't read in the papers or see on the news. Maybe a story of heroism, or of successful interaction with the locals, or a critique of a media article by someone who was there and saw the way it went down.
So, today The Adventures of Chester announces The Whole Truth Series. Here's how it works:
If you are in the US military and in Iraq, and have:
1. Witnessed an event that is notable, but not reported;
2. Been interviewed by a reporter, yet feel he didn't quite get it right;
3. Been present at a reported event, and have quite a different take on it than was reported;
4. Had someone in your unit awarded a Silver Star or higher for valor;
. . . then this is the series for you. Email what really happened to Chester, and include a link to any news stories you reference, or at least a headline and date, or a citation excerpt if a decoration was awarded. Be specific: who was there, what went wrong, what went right, etc. Don't just send emails with general comments like, "Everything is going great here! The media is horrible." We want details.
Let's see what other stories are out there . . . The Adventures of Chester will compile and publish weekly.
FAQ
Q: Chester, how will you know you aren't being sent made-up stories?
A: You'd be surprised how smart the blogosphere is. Someone will probably figure it out. I'll be the initial filter.
Q: Chester, doesn't Arthur Chrenkoff already do this?
A: Not quite. He rounds up published news stories that slip under the radar -- and does an excellent job. I'm not out to best him or compete. This series should be complimentary to his.
Q: Chester, what if nobody writes you?
A: Then we'll give it another week. Might take a bit to get the word out, so if you want to link to this post or email it, feel free.
Q: Chester, what's in this for you?
A: The same thing for you: Victory! I want to know if we are winning against the terrorists.
As is said on the rifle range, "Don't be afraid to make bold adjustments." So here is one for The Adventures of Chester. Let's see what happens.
Posted by Chester at January 18, 2005 01:58 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.theadventuresofchester.com/MT/mt-tb.cgi/519
Comments
Outstanding idea. I should not be surprised to see that the volume you get makes you publish daily instead of weekly accounts. But it will probably take more than a week to reach that level.
Posted by: Richard Heddleson at January 18, 2005 07:41 AM
Once you get these published don't forget to ask your regular readers, such as myself, to forward this information to the offending media outlets. Much like Rather went down the MSM can be forced to report the truth or go the way of the dodo. The reporters might like their power, but the network execs are addicted to their money and will jettison those cutting into their bonuses. Shout it from the mountain tops, brother.
Posted by: Ken at January 18, 2005 10:30 AM
Speaking of pressure on the media, Drudge links to LTC Ryan's piece, today. Visibility, visibility, visibility. I wrote LTC Ryan, his unit is local, and sent him a big Hooah!
Posted by: Peyton at January 18, 2005 02:26 PM
Out-friggin-standing, Marine.
That is all.
Carry on.
Posted by: USMC_Vet at January 18, 2005 05:00 PM
Excellent idea. Can't wait to see how it turns out. My only advice is to post both sides. I think the key is to get a real feel for what our fighting men and women think.
I really enjoy the analysis on your blog. It has become a regular stop for me. Keep up the good work.
Posted by: Charles at January 18, 2005 06:14 PM
I think I understand what you mean by 'both sides', DT. Don't fall for ignoring the bad in search of the good, right? Agreed, but...
...my initial reaction is that 'the bad' needs no further voice.
...but I know what you mean.
Posted by: USMC_Vet at January 18, 2005 08:18 PM
Excellent idea. Focus on the good; bad news travels fast anyway. Remind us to pass the good stories along to friends and the press.
Posted by: Eduardo at January 18, 2005 08:27 PM