Why The Mainstream Press is Dying

The Newsweek story continues to amaze me.

There's so many angles on this thing that it leaves me wondering where the analysis will end. But it's Andrew Sullivan's amazing stance that takes the cake for insanity. Reading through Sullivan's litany of posts regarding this story, it appears that he's more offended by the lack of coverage regarding Abu Ghraib compared to the current Newsweek mess. Sullivan's almost on Dan rather's "fake-but-accurate" train.

There's a couple problems with Sullivan's stance in this case. First, Abu Ghraib was a huge story. By comparison, the mainstream press is trying desperately to relegate Newsweek's shoddy journalism to the back page. This may or may not be appropriate -- Abu Ghraib is a bigger story, but the press played the story to the point where people were sick of it. And as much as Andrew is openly angry about other reports of torture and even murder by U.S. agents, he's missing a basic point about the Newsweek story -- screwing up a story like this makes the public less likely to care or believe legitimate stories about torture and abuse.

Now, on to the press. The New Criterion has a great post about Scott McClellan's news conference today, where the White House press secretary had to battle idiot reporters who took offense at his suggestion that newsweek needed to do more than issue a tiny apology for its screwup...

But back to the Mighty Press with the Big Conscience. After Mr. McClellan had the temerity to suggest that Newsweek might want to help diffuse the homicidal cataract it sparked, one of our Guardians of Free Speech and the Public’s Right to Know (or was it the Public’s Right to No?) asked this:

Q: With respect, who made you the editor of Newsweek? Do you think it’s appropriate for you, at that podium, speaking with the authority of the President of the United States, to tell an American magazine what they should print?

Mr. McClellan instantly tried to say that, no, he wasn’t presuming to tell Newsweek what to print, but that brave speaking-truth-to-power soul showed his mettle by repeatedly interrupting him:

MR. McCLELLAN: I’m not telling them. I’m saying that we would encourage them to help --

Q: You’re pressuring them.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I’m saying that we would encourage them --

Q: It’s not pressure?

MR. McCLELLAN: Look, this report caused serious damage to the image of the United States abroad. And Newsweek has said that they got it wrong. I think Newsweek recognizes the responsibility they have. We appreciate the step that they took by retracting the story. Now we would encourage them to move forward and do all that they can to help repair the damage that has been done by this report. And that’s all I’m saying. But, no, you’re absolutely right, it’s not my position to get into telling people what they can and cannot report.

You might have thought that would satisfy these chaps, but no: after wandering off onto a few other subjects, they came back to the Newsweek story.

Q: Are you asking them to write a story about how great the American military is; is that what you’re saying here?

MR. McCLELLAN: Elisabeth, let me finish my sentence. Our military --

Q: You’ve already said what you’re -- I know what -- how it ends.

Liz, Liz, whoever you are: you haven’t a clue about how it ends. And by the way, what would be wrong with “a story about how great the American military is”? Is there any better--I don’t mean better as a fighting force--they answer to that is, No, there is no other military that can hold a candle to the United States military.

Here's what Liz and her high-brow MSM friends are missing -- the American people love freedom of speech and freedom of the press, but they don't love the press. That's because the press doesn't share the ideals of the American people in many respects -- especially when it comes to respect for their own country.

It's a good thing when the press nails a huge story that shows the flaws in our government and in our military. But doing so with absolutely no respect for the fact that we're fighting a war leaves many Americans with a sour taste in our mouths -- because we think the press cares more about getting the scoop to make America look bad than caring about getting the story to help America live up to its ideals.

Better yet, acting holier-than-thou about Newsweek's mistake -- as if it's only Newsweek's business -- shows how out of touch with their customers these self-appointed elitist guardians of the press are. I don't care if the press thinks the White House is trying to edit Newsweek -- it's apparent Newsweek failed to do the job itself.

17 people are dead in the riots, the American military has been wrongly accused of committing offensive acts and our enemies in the war we're fighting now have new ammunition (that's not true) to argue that we're trying to destroy their religion. No, they're not right to riot. But that doesn't mean Newsweek is off the hook.

And if this will be the attitude of the mainstream press, they're more irrelevant than even I believed.