NOW IT'S GETTING OBVIOUS
Cori Dauber
You know, everytime there's been an article about injured troops returned from Iraq I've applauded the media's following up on that story.
There have likewise been multiple stories along the lines of today's in the Post about the medical units in Iraq, interviewing both the wounded there recuperating and the medical personnel. I'm not saying it isn't a story worth doing, I'm saying it's a story that's been done. An awful lot of times. (Although there isn't really a way to sort out stories about units that aren't American, since the words "American" or "United States" wouldn't typically appear in one of these stories.)
Here's what's beginning to get obvious: when does the media interview the average American service member? When do you hear their voice, ostensibly what drove Vietnam war reportage? Now, I'm not talking so much about getting factual information out in an interview ("where do you patrol? how often?" although those questions are posed primarily to officers.) I'm talking about asking the opinions of soldiers and Marines.
Those questions are most often asked (and frankly, all questions are most often asked) if a servicemember has been injured, or has something negative to say.
By the way, how can you tell a big action is coming in Fallujah: representatives of the major outlets are starting to embed again, as per the pattern. They don't want those slots under normal circumstances, but if something major's coming, they want those slots for sure.
And, as just more proof that Americans aren't being told the full story of just how good their military is, Fox's embed with the Marines was interviewing the Captain in charge of the patrol he was accompanying the other day.
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