Somewhat related to my immediately previous post, last Friday on ABC's 'Nightline" television program Ted Koppel solemnly read aloud the names of American soldiers killed in the Iraq war during an expanded edition of the show. Without music (think of Fox News' dubbed overture to the exploded bombs of 'shock and awe' last spring) or graphic flourishes the names were announced with photos of the dead soldiers, giving their military branch, rank, and age.
This show and the reading of a list of names of the consequences of US military action in Iraq and of the brave soldiers who have died for our nation, has come under fire itself, called by a TV station group run by Sinclair Broadcast Group, who refused to let the program air on any of its markets, "ant-war slanted."
"This was never intended to be about us," Ted Koppel said in the introduction to that night's show, "and for all the controversy swirling around the program, tonight is just going to be about the men and women who have died in the war in Iraq." When the names had been read, Koppel closed by saying, "Our goal tonight was to elevate the fallen above the politics and the daily journalism ...."
On certain journalism list groups there is another debate being held about whether or not this list of dead soldiers is actually news or even newsworthy; and whether or not it is just a veiled attack on the current administation. I think that debate and those on the other side of it are not even worth addressing -- except to mention that its funny how often simple lists and facts are somehow "anti-Bush" these days.
After the black-out by Sinclair, which was usurped in at least one market when the Fox affiliate in Greenville, S.C., aired the program instead, decorated war hero Sen. John McCain (R-Ari) wrote a condemning letter to Sinclair about its decision to "shirk its responsibility . . . [in] a very misguided attempt to prevent your viewers from completely appreciating the extraordinary sacrifices made on their behalf by Americans serving in Iraq."
Posted by John Loomis at May 4, 2004 11:12 AM