STORM2K

Should journalists be traveling with the troops?

The yes option doesn't work Rainband
can you fix it?

I say yes - just because - its another media source and I'm a news fanatic - for the moral and mentality - I'm not sure if its a good idea too much information.

I know one thing the reality of war hits home when you see the camera phone shots.

Patricia

I think audio is good, but the pictures can be disturbing, and I really don't think it is a good idea to make people sad like that on a daily basis, but that's only my opinion. If the reporters are brave enough to be over there, then more power to them!

I think that this is a great idea that the administration let these reporters in. Too often in times of war reporters have either not been allowed in or many dead/injured trying to report on the war. Another plus is this... imagine if we only had Al Jazeera and Iraqi TV to depend on for information. :o See my point?

--Garrett

I think the reporters should be able to give audio but no pictures. I just think the reality of war is too hard for children to deal with and some adults too. Just my opinion..

There is a fine line Rainband, but like so many have said in the last couple of days: "You can't treat it like a video game". The reality of war is death and destruction as unfortunate as it is. Plus, I am a firm believer that if we see the pictures from out news agencies it will be so much easier to verify the acurracy than if we only see pics from fixed positions and/or foreign journalists.

I agree but feel the pictures shouldn't be supplied to the public and only military and government officials. For instance what if you were watching a report of a soilder killed and it turned out to be someone in you family or a friend? Would you want to see them in that condition?


Johnathan

I agree WX. Reality hurts - but it makes you a better person in the long run because you realize that death happens and these men and women are giving their lives for OUR COUNTRY and what we stand for....

Patricia

That can't show dead troops. That is a violation.

That kind of picture No Rainband I won't want to see - I was referring to general pictures we are seeing as of now the distance fighting - the tanks and forces moving across the desert to Baghdad.

Those are the kinds I think we should see - the close up graphical pictures - can be kept for the military and etc. Lets not lower ourselves to Iraqi or AL-Jeerza's level either.

I meant when they are reporting live. If there was an ambush they would roll tape till they could..it's all about ratings. I understand all the points I read and respect them.



Johnathan

Thanks for posting this, I was about to ask the question myself when I saw this thread!

NOW.......I have mixed feelings about this, have we turned into a society that FEEDS on violence and is this the justification of such? I don't know....I've literally been GLUED to the tv, CNN, MSNBC, I refuse to watch FOX for ethical reasons, FOX IMHO is partly to blame for the fall of morality here in the U.S., I mean look at their shows, reality this, reality that, they have over stepped the boundries of social and moral issues, there are virtually no family shows, a lot of sick sitcom are coming out of FOX these days, too much sexually oriented material that kids are watching!

ANYWAY....I feel guilty about being GLUED to the tv but yet it's almost like a drug, I can't get away without feeling guilty. I know we should stay informed BUT, we need to get out and enjoy the freedoms that these men and women are fighting for! "AMEN!"

As it's been said, we need to instruct our children and show them that this is NOT a video game, that people DO die and in the same breath show them that the images coming into our living rooms are real and tell them why this is happening! JMHO!

Dennis

Great points made Dennis!

I don't approve of the embedded reporters myself. There is just too much danger of information getting into hands where it doesn't belong.

Assuming that all reporters are made aware of the risks
and consequences, then, let them go in. If we are
offended by something, we all have some kind of ability to
change the channel. It is becoming increasingly difficult, in this
day and age, to shelter our children from reality, and, they
need to know that life can be very harsh. I think we adults also
need to see what the results of war can be - for those of us who
have never fought in a war, it's an eye-opening experience
to see, first-hand, what actually goes on in the battlefields.
I can't even begin to imagine my being in the soldier's
positions....

Breeze... that was said very well! Good job.

breeze wrote:Assuming that all reporters are made aware of the risks
and consequences, then, let them go in. If we are
offended by something, we all have some kind of ability to
change the channel. It is becoming increasingly difficult, in this
day and age, to shelter our children from reality, and, they
need to know that life can be very harsh. I think we adults also
need to see what the results of war can be - for those of us who
have never fought in a war, it's an eye-opening experience
to see, first-hand, what actually goes on in the battlefields.
I can't even begin to imagine my being in the soldier's
positions....

Bow......I Bow to that statement... Very well said and true...I haven't that often been swayed in my opinion on this board but when it happens...I notice the person and am touched by their sentiment..Again I say very well said...

Sincerely
Johnathan

Johnathan, I always leave my mind wide-open...it can be swayed.
People sometimes make me see things after I think I've
"figured something out"...LoL...we're all good people on these
boards, just trying to understand what we see.

We're gonna all get through these bad times, wxbuddy...

A very good discussion on all points ladies and gentlemen.

That being said I am firmly against the embedded reporters. I think that while they are very careful "not to give our sensitve information", that in reality if someone from Iraq has the right tools, they can probably pinpoint where they are just from the video, much less by using devices provided by our friends the Russians to home in on their signals. If they have GPS blocking abilities you know they have "homing" abilities.

And although I am sure they have been given a talk about "don't get in the way, we are not going to stop for your reports, you are on your own for protection", you can be assured that is not the case. It is natural for us to protect the "less protected". JMHO.

As far as exlplaining to the kids that this is not a video game, that doesn't cut it with me. Maybe I am oversimplifying this and need to read some more of the posts concerning that, but WAR IS HELL and the explanations will have to go much deeper than that when they start seeing pictures sent from Arab sources. I am not saying protect them from the reality of war, but why must a parent have to be on our guard 24/7 to make sure they don't see something that is not appropriate for them? Mind you, my "babies" are 20 and 23, so I am speaking as if I had small children. I had always hoped that my children would escape having to deal with the horrors of war, or wondering when that nuke was going to be dropped or launched. Unfortunately, obviously that was not to be after 9/11.

Well said David !