Home
Archive
Newsletters
Video
Blogs
Discuss
About
Search
Donate
Advertise
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
  • AlterNetYour turn

Support AlterNet
Do you value the information you're getting from AlterNet? Please show your support with a tax-deductible donation.


Feedback
Tell us how we're doing.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Olbermann: 'Civil War' naming is Iraq's Walter Cronkite moment [VIDEO]

Posted by Evan Derkacz at 11:08 AM on November 28, 2006.


Bush admin in denial, can't begin its 12-step on Iraq...
olbcivil

Share and save this post:

      

      

Share on Facebook       

AlterNet Social Networks:
follow us on twitter
find us on Facebook

Got a tip for a post?:
Email us | Anonymous form

Get Video in your
mailbox!

 

Noting that "it's the media's job to cut through [the administration's deceptive language] and call things what they are," Congressional Quarterly's Craig Crawford quipped that "If these guys were designing road signs they'd probably want to call a 'dead end' sign 'outlet free.'"

Such is the flood of tragically humorous commentary unleashed by White House winging over (MS)NBC's decision to call it a Civil War. The Daily Show also had its way with the administration's (and therefore the media's) linguistic pilates with respect to the Civil War in Iraq [VIDEO].

In the clip above, Keith Olbermann compares his employers' decision to call it a Civil War to Walter Cronkite's shift in Vietnam reporting in 1968 when he began to speak of the war as unwinnable. Many believe that was the beginning of the end for America's involvement in Vietnam...

To read more about the media conflict see today's front page story on AlterNet HERE.

Digg!

Tagged as: iraq, olbermann, civil war, bush administration, language

Evan Derkacz is an AlterNet editor. He writes and edits PEEK, the blog of blogs.


Juan Cole on Iranian Protests and the Reform Movement's Future
Cole and HuffPo's Nico Pitney discuss how the Obama administration must engage the Iranian regime.
Post by ZP Heller. July 9, 2009.
David Letterman: Top Ten Messages On Sarah Palin's Answering Machine
The Letterman / Palin saga continues.
Post by Mark Ristaino. July 9, 2009.
Xinjiang Riots Explode in China
Ethnic protests rocked China's western Xinjiang province, killing at least 140 and injuring more than 800.
Post by Mark Ristaino. July 9, 2009.
Advertisement
Comments Turn comments off sitewide Give us feedback »
Comments closed.
The comments for this story have been closed. Thank you to everyone who participated.
View:
Long Overdue
Posted by: NoPCZone on Nov 28, 2006 10:05 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The media's job has never been to give cover or political latitude to any administration at peace or at war. The only reason we are seeing this is 1 -the result of the last election and 2- the fact that Iraq (and increasingly Afghanistan) are so ugly and out of control that they can simply no longer deny it.

I would like Congress to hold hearings on the way the deregulated and highly concentrated commercial media did not do due diligence and sold us this war rather than report on it in an unbiased way. As Amy Goodman and others have pointed out, despite the fact that the majority of Americans supported continued inspections over invasion, one it became apparent that we were going to invade Iraq the MSM stopped any coverage on the peace movement or those opposing an invasion. They broke out the flag graphics, the retired Generals and the martial music during their promos and bumps.

The MSM pimped this war for many reasons, but mainly for monetary reasons. They know that viewership spikes during wars and audiences 'sample' all available coverage. Otherwise, a chance to get ratings and, hopefully, increase your permanent audience.

Profits, more than the truth, defines their judgement. Ratings, more than reason, is their purpose.
Salaciousness, rather than seasoned judgement, is their methodology.

Shame on them. We need to re-instate the fairness doctrine, the cross-ownership rules and ownership caps. Until we do the commercial news media is nothing more than an Entertainment Tonight gossip and spin-fest based in Washington and New York. Lights in a box- just like Murrow warned.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Long Overdue Posted by: Ellie1
» RE: Long Overdue Posted by: NoPCZone
» RE: Long Overdue Posted by: Bibs
» RE: Long Overdue Posted by: Lauren
» RE: Long Overdue Posted by: Bibs
The Bush Administration ordering all
Posted by: russianblue1 on Nov 28, 2006 1:39 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
dead end signs to be renamed "outlet-free"?!?!?!

BWAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Now THAT'S funny!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

It's about time
Posted by: Anysia on Nov 28, 2006 2:41 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I am glad that some in the media have stepped up to the plate concerning this. The time of big media being propaganda machines for the Bush regime should become a thing of the past.

I have personally been calling the disaster in Iraq a civil war for the past 2 years. The Bushite "Slavery is Freedom" mentality of adding more syllables to try and whitewash what something really is.. "Sectarian Violence" is seven syllables for "Civil War".

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Finally
Posted by: medbear on Nov 28, 2006 4:35 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Finally the term "war" is used on something fitting. If a similar bold clarity of vision could initiate the removal of "war" from countering terrorism, the w word would be squarely put in the place it belongs, and not misused a combination that only brings tragedy and unsafety to all.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The same guys who loved the war initially
Posted by: albrechtkrausse on Nov 28, 2006 5:00 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
are following the same game as in Vietnam which is why the Cronkite reference is valid. You understand that the media is controlled by large corporations (not even media corporations often) and love rating. This is why they love war. Of course, it can't happen many times and so they focus on the Puerto-Rican stabbers, the Black 'home invader' or 'car-jacker', the white women who killed her kids, the school-marm turned seductress, or, please during sweeps-week, the perverted white 'loner' (he seemed like a nice guy) serial rapist/killer. But if they can gin up a war then there is real ratings-- for awhile. But the jaded public grows weary. How to gain interest? How about turn against the war. No more 'imbedded' reporters or 'patriotic' music. No now, villify that 'imbedded' reporter process and the 'ultra-Americanism'. Now we'll get more bodybags, political fighting, and hopefully protests. More ratings!
Get real. Its a money machine. Reporters are, almost, as bad as bankers.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Iraq's Civil War More Murderous than Americas
Posted by: Baryy Lando on Nov 29, 2006 3:55 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
evan, you might be interested in my oped piece in today, nov. 29th la times..in which i point out that the rate of iraqis killing each other has now passed that of americans killing each other in the u.s. civil war..posted on my blog:
http://barrylando.com

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]