And What Will The MSM Say About Today When Tomorrow Arrives?
First, a HT to Hugh Hewitt. For the quote I'm about to cite, and for the idea he gave me.
http://hughhewitt.com/archives/2005/12/11-week/index.php#a000780
From Bill Roggio. He hits the nail on the head, and it's a quote that should be taken into account when they begin reporting fully on the Iraq elections today.
Barwana, once part of Zarqawi self declared “Islamic Republic of Iraq”, is now the scene of al-Qaeda’s greatest nightmare: Muslims exercising their constitutional right to chose their destiny.
Here, here, Mr. Roggio. Go here, and read it all: http://inbrief.threatswatch.org/2005/12/voting-in-barwana/
Now, onto Hugh's providence.
PajamasMedia, not the MSM, is the best source today. Reports from all over Iraq are flowing into PM, and are available in the top left column of the site. (One of the follow up stories in MSM tomorrow should be how PajamasMedia organized and delivered such coverage.)
Interesting point, huh? Now, all those that have been coming here throughout late last night and early this morning know that we were following the updates as best we could. (There's about a half dozen new posts up on Pajamas Media about the scenes after the polls closed. Go there and read up.)
http://www.pajamasmedia.com/
But what will the reaction of the MSM be? Obviously today, they're simply reporting the news as it dribbles out of Iraq. And I notice that they're not paying attention to the phenomenal job done by the guys over at Pajamas, or from Iraq The Model. No, they're relying on their wire service reporters. They are getting the news, and for the most part they're trying to paint a bleak picture. It's kind of hard to do on this day when so many proud and happy people were giddily waving purple fingers in the air, and subsequently giving those same fingers to the terrorists. I wonder if Zarqawi's run out of Tums yet? If I were in his shoes, I'd have a nasty case of heartburn, too.
Will the MSM's reaction be like that of Michael Hiltzik, the so-called LA Times "blogger?" Will it be like the Evan Thomas hit piece from Newsweek, accusing the president of "living in a bubble," detached from what Mr. Thomas calls mainstream America? Will it be like the doom and gloom the LA Times posted early this morning about "solemn" Iraqi voters? Or, will they be like Sen. Harry Reid, and Sen. Chuck Schumer coming to the microphones this morning, a deflecting away from the elections to hype a non-story, like the Plame investigation?
This is a make or break moment for the MSM. This moment is as historic as the day the wall fell in Berlin, or the day a lone man from China stood up to the entire communist regime in front of a lone tank in Tianamen Square. It's a red letter day for freedom and democracy, and has proven the president to right, again. The Iraqis turned out in droves to vote. They took their own destiny into their hands, and they showed it to the world. They won't go back to the past, and institute a new Saddam regime. It will not be a theocratic dictatorship like Iran. It will be the first, true constitutional democracy in the Middle East, and it will continue to grow.
The question to the media is this: Can you react as the blogosphere has? Can you present the story--the facts, the truth--and present a positive outlook? We have already cited a couple of stories from the MSM today that have tried to portray this day as grim or dismal. Each one has posted the information regarding the intermittent violence in and around Baghdad, Ramadi, and Mosul. They have laid low the expectations by playing up the differences between the Sunnis, the Kurds, and the Shi'ites; Will they or won't they learn how to play nice together? They will if they believe in the future of an Iraq that is free, and respects the rights of it's citizens.
Pajamas Media cited all of their correspondants blogging in Iraq. The mood from them was excited and upbeat. No one had an air of being downtrodden, despite the attempts of others in Iraq to bring dark clouds over the day. Omar was like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa Claus yesterday, last night, and this morning. But will the media focus on this? Probably not. A divide still exists between the MSM and the bloggers. The credo that bloggers should adopt, in regard to the MSM, is: No greater friend; no worse an enemy. Rather than taking a page from us, they will return to the status quo, same-old-song-and-dance tomorrow.
Matt Lauer took the first opportunity this morning to request from Sen. Lindsay Graham and Sen. Joe Biden when the troops can begin coming home. Dexter Filkins of the New York Times did the same thing. The MSM are like a dog with a chew toy. They just don't know when to let go. Deflection, deflection, deflection; don't ever address the real story. Just focus on the periphery. The problem for the MSM is they don't even have periphery vision on this issue. They are still focused on the bad, and aren't really giving too much about the good that isn't covered in dozens of other wire reports.
Tomorrow's media coverage should be much like this wrap-up from Pajamas Media:
Highlights: Iraqi journalists & bloggers on the ground for Iraqi elections
Compiled in Los Angeles from reporters and bloggers for Pajamas Media including: I.S. in Karbala; W.Z. in Erbil; A.S. in Najaf; N.R. in Mosul; A.D. in Basra; A.T. in Babil; W.A., Omar and Mohammed in Baghdad. All bloggers and reporters worked anonymously due to security issues.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Iraq's historic national elections for parliament began with troubling reports that Zarqawi promised a bloody day via the Arabic media, W.A. in Baghdad reported for Pajamas Media, with one widely spread rumor that the water had been poisoned. But Sunni and Shii mosques urged people to vote, and children began playing soccer in the quiet streets of Baghdad, which is 11 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific time. One of the oldest Iraqis believed to have voted, Muhaisin Bidairy Abdullah, said to have been born in 1900, "could hardly breathe with tears visible in his eyes," W.A. reported. A.D. in Basra reported that voters flocked to the polls amidst thick fog in that city, with turnout levels exceeding 84 percent at some polling centers and voters feeling safe enough to walk "in masses down the streets flying Iraqi flags and chanting for democracy in Iraq." I.S. in Karbala and W.Z. in Erbil in a joint report quoted an Iraqi woman at a Karbala polling place holding a tray of cream and cheese who had squeezed her vote in during her job selling dairy products on the sidewalk.
A.S. in Najaf -- whose report was delayed while he sought internet access -- toured 10 polling centers and quoted voter Ali-Hassoon al-Badri who said "electing our representatives is a basic right for everyone and it is not a gift from anyone." N.R. in Mosul reported that as the voting deadline drew to a close, "substantial numbers of people [were] coming to the stations" to vote, while Mosul's police command volunteered to drive in voters who lived at a distance from the polls. Ninety minutes after the polls had closed, Mohammed of Iraq The Model in Baghdad reported a full summary of data, including that 600,000 observers of various kinds watched the polls to guard the process, and "countless numbers of conferences, lectures and workshops" had been held to educate and encourage people to vote. W.Z. reported from Erbil that one polling official was so happy with the vote "I can't even feel tired." N.R. in Mosul found that the National Accord Front was doing well because its religious appeal attracted many votes "in spite of the reservations and objections of the educated classes in Mosul." A.T. in Babil reported, humorously, that an election official refused to let Babil's governor cast his ballot "until he showed his i.d. card," and some polling places broke out soft drinks while men and women voters sang celebratory songs. And in Hilla, A.T. reported, the city council provided 125 buses to take voters to the polls.
Not only is the above an excellent, albeit truncated, overview of the day of voting, but it also has the commentary within it from the reporters telling people how much joy voters felt. It also pointed to how big this was across the country; remember that the numbers are pointing towards 80% of a turnout from the voters. Will the media report this tomorrow? One would hope so, and it would only be a fitting honor to the people of Iraq.
I don't guarantee that they will be able to take a page from us. Most of us that have been watching this from the start have had the optimism the Iraqis have. (We were running shifts all night watching the wires, watching Pajamas, and waiting for the polls to open. The ladies took the overnight shift.) Sure the blogs have covered other stories all day, but the focus has been on these elections. Nothing changes that. If there is news regarding the election, we shelve the topic we're researching, and we hit the elections instead. The media missed this boat today when Washington woke up, and the politicos trying to score points woke up, and located their first MSM monkey.
I do hope the media takes a page from us. They might actually learn a lesson about real reporting on real stories.
Publius II
First, a HT to Hugh Hewitt. For the quote I'm about to cite, and for the idea he gave me.
http://hughhewitt.com/archives/2005/12/11-week/index.php#a000780
From Bill Roggio. He hits the nail on the head, and it's a quote that should be taken into account when they begin reporting fully on the Iraq elections today.
Barwana, once part of Zarqawi self declared “Islamic Republic of Iraq”, is now the scene of al-Qaeda’s greatest nightmare: Muslims exercising their constitutional right to chose their destiny.
Here, here, Mr. Roggio. Go here, and read it all: http://inbrief.threatswatch.org/2005/12/voting-in-barwana/
Now, onto Hugh's providence.
PajamasMedia, not the MSM, is the best source today. Reports from all over Iraq are flowing into PM, and are available in the top left column of the site. (One of the follow up stories in MSM tomorrow should be how PajamasMedia organized and delivered such coverage.)
Interesting point, huh? Now, all those that have been coming here throughout late last night and early this morning know that we were following the updates as best we could. (There's about a half dozen new posts up on Pajamas Media about the scenes after the polls closed. Go there and read up.)
http://www.pajamasmedia.com/
But what will the reaction of the MSM be? Obviously today, they're simply reporting the news as it dribbles out of Iraq. And I notice that they're not paying attention to the phenomenal job done by the guys over at Pajamas, or from Iraq The Model. No, they're relying on their wire service reporters. They are getting the news, and for the most part they're trying to paint a bleak picture. It's kind of hard to do on this day when so many proud and happy people were giddily waving purple fingers in the air, and subsequently giving those same fingers to the terrorists. I wonder if Zarqawi's run out of Tums yet? If I were in his shoes, I'd have a nasty case of heartburn, too.
Will the MSM's reaction be like that of Michael Hiltzik, the so-called LA Times "blogger?" Will it be like the Evan Thomas hit piece from Newsweek, accusing the president of "living in a bubble," detached from what Mr. Thomas calls mainstream America? Will it be like the doom and gloom the LA Times posted early this morning about "solemn" Iraqi voters? Or, will they be like Sen. Harry Reid, and Sen. Chuck Schumer coming to the microphones this morning, a deflecting away from the elections to hype a non-story, like the Plame investigation?
This is a make or break moment for the MSM. This moment is as historic as the day the wall fell in Berlin, or the day a lone man from China stood up to the entire communist regime in front of a lone tank in Tianamen Square. It's a red letter day for freedom and democracy, and has proven the president to right, again. The Iraqis turned out in droves to vote. They took their own destiny into their hands, and they showed it to the world. They won't go back to the past, and institute a new Saddam regime. It will not be a theocratic dictatorship like Iran. It will be the first, true constitutional democracy in the Middle East, and it will continue to grow.
The question to the media is this: Can you react as the blogosphere has? Can you present the story--the facts, the truth--and present a positive outlook? We have already cited a couple of stories from the MSM today that have tried to portray this day as grim or dismal. Each one has posted the information regarding the intermittent violence in and around Baghdad, Ramadi, and Mosul. They have laid low the expectations by playing up the differences between the Sunnis, the Kurds, and the Shi'ites; Will they or won't they learn how to play nice together? They will if they believe in the future of an Iraq that is free, and respects the rights of it's citizens.
Pajamas Media cited all of their correspondants blogging in Iraq. The mood from them was excited and upbeat. No one had an air of being downtrodden, despite the attempts of others in Iraq to bring dark clouds over the day. Omar was like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa Claus yesterday, last night, and this morning. But will the media focus on this? Probably not. A divide still exists between the MSM and the bloggers. The credo that bloggers should adopt, in regard to the MSM, is: No greater friend; no worse an enemy. Rather than taking a page from us, they will return to the status quo, same-old-song-and-dance tomorrow.
Matt Lauer took the first opportunity this morning to request from Sen. Lindsay Graham and Sen. Joe Biden when the troops can begin coming home. Dexter Filkins of the New York Times did the same thing. The MSM are like a dog with a chew toy. They just don't know when to let go. Deflection, deflection, deflection; don't ever address the real story. Just focus on the periphery. The problem for the MSM is they don't even have periphery vision on this issue. They are still focused on the bad, and aren't really giving too much about the good that isn't covered in dozens of other wire reports.
Tomorrow's media coverage should be much like this wrap-up from Pajamas Media:
Highlights: Iraqi journalists & bloggers on the ground for Iraqi elections
Compiled in Los Angeles from reporters and bloggers for Pajamas Media including: I.S. in Karbala; W.Z. in Erbil; A.S. in Najaf; N.R. in Mosul; A.D. in Basra; A.T. in Babil; W.A., Omar and Mohammed in Baghdad. All bloggers and reporters worked anonymously due to security issues.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Iraq's historic national elections for parliament began with troubling reports that Zarqawi promised a bloody day via the Arabic media, W.A. in Baghdad reported for Pajamas Media, with one widely spread rumor that the water had been poisoned. But Sunni and Shii mosques urged people to vote, and children began playing soccer in the quiet streets of Baghdad, which is 11 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific time. One of the oldest Iraqis believed to have voted, Muhaisin Bidairy Abdullah, said to have been born in 1900, "could hardly breathe with tears visible in his eyes," W.A. reported. A.D. in Basra reported that voters flocked to the polls amidst thick fog in that city, with turnout levels exceeding 84 percent at some polling centers and voters feeling safe enough to walk "in masses down the streets flying Iraqi flags and chanting for democracy in Iraq." I.S. in Karbala and W.Z. in Erbil in a joint report quoted an Iraqi woman at a Karbala polling place holding a tray of cream and cheese who had squeezed her vote in during her job selling dairy products on the sidewalk.
A.S. in Najaf -- whose report was delayed while he sought internet access -- toured 10 polling centers and quoted voter Ali-Hassoon al-Badri who said "electing our representatives is a basic right for everyone and it is not a gift from anyone." N.R. in Mosul reported that as the voting deadline drew to a close, "substantial numbers of people [were] coming to the stations" to vote, while Mosul's police command volunteered to drive in voters who lived at a distance from the polls. Ninety minutes after the polls had closed, Mohammed of Iraq The Model in Baghdad reported a full summary of data, including that 600,000 observers of various kinds watched the polls to guard the process, and "countless numbers of conferences, lectures and workshops" had been held to educate and encourage people to vote. W.Z. reported from Erbil that one polling official was so happy with the vote "I can't even feel tired." N.R. in Mosul found that the National Accord Front was doing well because its religious appeal attracted many votes "in spite of the reservations and objections of the educated classes in Mosul." A.T. in Babil reported, humorously, that an election official refused to let Babil's governor cast his ballot "until he showed his i.d. card," and some polling places broke out soft drinks while men and women voters sang celebratory songs. And in Hilla, A.T. reported, the city council provided 125 buses to take voters to the polls.
Not only is the above an excellent, albeit truncated, overview of the day of voting, but it also has the commentary within it from the reporters telling people how much joy voters felt. It also pointed to how big this was across the country; remember that the numbers are pointing towards 80% of a turnout from the voters. Will the media report this tomorrow? One would hope so, and it would only be a fitting honor to the people of Iraq.
I don't guarantee that they will be able to take a page from us. Most of us that have been watching this from the start have had the optimism the Iraqis have. (We were running shifts all night watching the wires, watching Pajamas, and waiting for the polls to open. The ladies took the overnight shift.) Sure the blogs have covered other stories all day, but the focus has been on these elections. Nothing changes that. If there is news regarding the election, we shelve the topic we're researching, and we hit the elections instead. The media missed this boat today when Washington woke up, and the politicos trying to score points woke up, and located their first MSM monkey.
I do hope the media takes a page from us. They might actually learn a lesson about real reporting on real stories.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 3:16 PM
1 Comments:
The bloggers shined putting the msm to shame for their doom and gloom. How very disappointed the libs and terrorists must be. poor babies. They lost. Freedom is on the march. Freedom costs but it is priceless. I am very proud of our troops and the people that supported that supports them. Rawriter
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