Pathetic Media Coverage

Four of my last five posts were in regards to successes that are taking place in Iraq, but which are not being covered in the mainstream media. Blackfive has a post regarding a CWO who wrote to the Des Moines Register to express his displeasure about the same lack of coverage.

"We go out daily and bust and kill the enemy, uncover and destroy huge weapons caches and continue to establish infrastructure. So daily we put a whoopin on the enemy, but all the enemy has to do is turn on the TV and get re-inspired. He gets to see his daily roadside bomb, truck bomb, suicide bomber or mortar attack. He doesn't see any accomplishments of the U.S. military (FOX, you're not exempt, you suck also).

"Let's give you an example. A couple of days ago we conducted an air assault. We lifted troops into an area for an operation. The operation went well and our ground troops killed (insurgents) and took several prisoners, freed a few hostages and uncovered a weapons cache containing munitions and chemicals that were going to be used in improvised bombs.

"The next morning I woke up and turned on AFN (Armed Forces Network) and watched the nightly news (NBC). Nothing, none of that reported. But the daily car bomb report was reported, and the file footage was not even from the event. There was a car bomb in the Sadr City area and your news report showed old car bomb footage from another part of town from some other time.

"So we really set the enemy back that night but all the enemy had to do was turn on the news and be reassured that the enemy's agenda (objective) was still going to be fed to the American public."

Chief Warrant Officer Jim Funk is upset, and he has every right to be. I agree with him, and I've been angry about the same pathetic coverage for quite some time. Well, let's step up now and give him a hand.

Take the time today to shoot off an email, especially if it's to FOX News, and ask why they aren't covering any of the good news or successes from Iraq and Afghanistan. Provide some examples of the good things that are taking place there (you can find some at the MNF-Iraq Website), and press them to provide honest coverage of the war. Send at least one a week to keep the pressure on, and so they don't think this is just a passing fad.

And then make sure that you also pass those stories of good news on to the people you encounter every day, especially if they are nay-sayers about the war. We can tell others about the successes and victories that our troops are having, and those will be passed on if we are diligent in continuing to recount the good news from the war.

Stand up and sound off. Good men like CWO Funk are counting on you.

USMC 9971 OUT