Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/02/24

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Embedded Brit journalists will receive Iraq Campaign medal
From: Marc James Small <msmall@infionline.net>
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 21:23:23 -0500
References: <008201c3fa42$33e50b20$6401a8c0@CCA4A5EF37E11E> <5.2.0.9.2.20040223174249.025321f0@mail.infoave.net> <003e01c3fa6b$f935c080$87d86c18@gv.shawcable.net> <1077587220.403aad149c2ec@mail.umich.edu>

At 08:10 PM 2/23/04 -0800, Ted Grant wrote:
>These embedded people were only let in on the basis if they were good boys
>and girls and didn't say anything that would make the military and certainly
>not the government look bad!!! And certainly not cause any embarrassing
>questions.

Ted

To be totally fair, the journalists in Viet-Nam routinely ignored military
security:  I remember one occasion on SIXTY MINUTES when Ed Bradley
squatted in front of a map and pointed out the route the unit he was with
would take for the next week.  Talk about an invitation for ambushes.  (And
the unit in question took around 75 killed and wounded over that time,
though I cannot say for CERTAIN that Bradley caused these losses -- but I
damn well suspect that his gauche broadcast did so!)

The idea of embedded journalists was to let the reporters KNOW the
importance of keeping their reports to actions accomplished, for which
there was no censorship, but also to convince them not to breach security
which could cost soldiers' lives.

If the journalists would understand the need for military security, then
the military and the press could be more at ease with each other.  And I
say this both as a former US Army Information Officer and as a Recovering
Journalist.

Marc

msmall@infionline.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bąs fir gun ghrąs fir!


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In reply to: Message from "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> (RE: [Leica] Embedded Brit journalists will receive Iraq Campaign medal)
Message from Tina Manley <images@InfoAve.Net> (Re: [Leica] Embedded Brit journalists will receive Iraq Campaign medal)
Message from Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> (Re: [Leica] Embedded Brit journalists will receive Iraq Campaign medal)
Message from dante@umich.edu (Re: [Leica] Embedded Brit journalists will receive Iraq Campaign medal)