ABC and NBC News Are No Different...

[MMMMMM]

OK, the first was just a misunderstanding of what you were comparing it to.

My initial post in this thread was to Mark Heide regarding what I see as his absurd equivalency statement. The issue of whether problems of some sort of censorship exist in US media is another matter--I'm really just taking issue with his statement here, and I was just trying to get at whether you agreed with his statement or not.

I have no idea what you're talking about referencing Hitler in this thread. I think Hitler was a loathsome character who propounded poor arguments and calls to despicable inhumane actions.

[Mark Heide]

M,

Try this one.

ABC + NBC + CBS + CNN + FOX are five major American news stations that broadcast government propaganda. Iraqi TV is one major Iraqi news station that broadcasts government propaganda.

Can you identify the subtle hidden flaw?

Good Luck

Mark

[Mark Heide]

Glenn,

The point of my post here is that ABC and NBC waited until the US administration said if it is OK or not OK to broadcast a news story. The similarity between Pravda and US news media is the same. Pravda had to get Stalins approval. This issue just happened to be controvertial, but the sad part of it was is that our govenment is more worried about how propaganda will influence the American public, than our brave and courageous solders and their parents. I would be mad at the US administration if I was Hudsons father and heard about my son being captured on a Phillipino news channel as the first source of information. There was no reason why the US administration could not call these parents immeadiately after it happened. Instead the US administration fumbled and fell into Saddams propaganda trap again.

Mark

[brad]

'have no idea what you're talking about referencing Hitler in this thread.'

i understood perfectly. reread perhaps. you have a tendency to be concrete maybe a little dense sometimes (no offense im sure you just read it real fast)

[Mark Heide]

Tom,

It was the US administration and news media that violated the Geneva convention first by showing Iraqis surrendering. So, the tactics are the same. The US used this to influence Iraqis that they have no chance and should give up immeadiately.

With the communication on the battlefield today, our government knows who is captured and who is dead. I believe that the broadcast of this information would provide more determination for the American public to want to see the US objective accomplished. The mistake the administration made, is that they didn't think that anyone in our country would be watching alternative news sources. Don't forget that Bush and the administration are watching all the foreign broadcasts along with the major American news sources. Since, they can watch it, I'd like to see it too. I'm just as much an American as Bush.

Mark

[Mark Heide]

Chris,

Great post.

Mark

[MMMMMM]

Mark Heide:

"ABC + NBC + CBS + CNN + FOX are five major American news stations that broadcast government propaganda. Iraqi TV is one major Iraqi news station that broadcasts government propaganda.

Can you identify the subtle hidden flaw?"

Yes, it's the same flaw: you are failing to even roughly quantify anything. You might as well say that a cup of coffee with a teaspoon of sugar is the same as a cup of coffee with 10 tablespoons of sugar. When making comparisons you can't simply list ingredients without quantities/percentages/ratios yet expect to have a meaningful comparison.

A news station that is 100% censored is different than one which is mildly censored, or even moderately censored. Also, censorship by threat of torture and death is different than censorship by subtle coercion.

Finally, the mere fact that news media in the USA frequently print articles highly critical of government policy belies your claim, for in state-controlled media like Iraqi news or Soviet-era Pravda there were never any dissenting views. The diversity of opinion in US news media and editorials is proof that US censorship is mild compared to that of the media of totalitarian regimes where only one view is put forth.