WAR REPORTING: A JOB FOR PLUMBERS, NOT REPORTERS

[defrog]

ITEM: Joe the Plumber tells a group of journalists covering the conflict in Israel and Gaza that the media should not be allowed to report on war.

“I think media should be abolished from, you know, reporting. You know, war is hell. And if you’re gonna sit there and say, ‘well, look at this atrocity,’ well you don’t know the whole story behind it half the time, so I think the media should have no business in it.”

Which is why he’s been hired by conservative media outlet Pajamas Media to cover the war in Gaza. You know, fairly.

Evidently, he’s started by picking fights with Israeli reporters. Which is how Stephen Crane and Ernie Pyle used to cover wars, after all, so why not?

I suspect this is going to be one of the trade-offs of Obama winning the election – four years of Joe The Plumber on TV every time he opens his mouth and says whatever fool thing pops into his head – and being taken seriously by the 46% of the country that wanted McCain to be president.

That and Sarah Palin claiming the media hates her because she’s not a Kennedy.

Which is silly. If the mainstream media was biased against her, would George Stephanopoulos have nailed Obama to the wall asking hardball questions on Sunday?

“I will ask you again, Mr President-elect, and please, I must insist on a straight, clear answer: Portuguese water hound or labradoodle?”

FACT: USA Today did a whole page on the water hound/labradoodle controversy. So you know it's important.



Just shoot me,

This is dF

Comments

[jasonfranks.livejournal.com]

Coverage of the Gaza conflict has been very one-sided in the Australian press, there's no question about it. A report in a major newspaper headline made it look like Israel had targeted that kindergarten in Gaza... only the caption below the photo noted that it was an Israeli kindergarten. This kind of bullshit has been going on more or less constantly since Intifada 2.0 started in 2000.

But Joe the plumber can go fuck himself.



-- JF

[def-fr0g-42.livejournal.com]

The Australian press biased? In the name of sensationalism? I'm shocked! SHOCKED, I say!

[jasonfranks.livejournal.com]

Astonishing, ennit?

At least they're not syndicating Joe the Plumber.

-- JF

FILE UNDER: Jackassery

[lorilori.livejournal.com]

Well, I would like to know the whole story. Joe does not know that the Bush administration has put the kabosh reporting much of the war in Iraq. An information embargo if you will. I'd like to see ole Joe really get pinned down in a messy IED explosion and then see what his attude is towards being over there is.