Too many cooks
Maybe this is coming from the wrong source, but it needs to be said anyway: There are too many journalists in Iraq.
Right now, there are about 600 journalists embedded within military units stationed in and around Iraq. And right off the bat, the fact that everybody in American knows what the term "embed" means says a lot.
Let's hear it again: Some of those reporters, photographers, producers, and cameramen don't need to be in Iraq right now.
Here are a few reasons why.
— Journalists should be stationed within the war to report the news, not become part of the news. But today's coverage emphasizes the journalist's job, not just what he or she is uncovering for the public.
That's been evident recently with the deaths of two American journalists. You probably know the names: Michael Kelly and David Bloom.
And it's sad that their names are well-known. These men weren't even killed in combat, yet everybody knows who they are. What about the soldiers who died in actual confrontations? Why don't we exalt them?
Yet when one of "our own" dies, journalists take that chance to exalt him as a hero. Michael Kelly was a good writer and a good person, but he was not a war hero.
— The journalist chooses to cover war. In most cases, those getting overseas assignments volunteered for them.
But it's not out of bravery or a sense of duty — it's for the excitement. The bragging rights. The resume-boosters. The stories told to family and friends once you're safely home.
If you have a family back home, a spouse and young kids, know what? You should stay home. Forego the adrenaline rush and sacrifice your pride for your family.
Michael Kelly had two young children. Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Kelly, who was killed last year by Pakistani terrorists, had a baby on the way. Their deaths were tragedies, of course, but these men weren't ordered to take dangerous assignments; they chose them.
— Having so many reporters, photographers, and cameramen embedded all over the Middle East doesn't always mean that a particular news organization is getting a wealth of information.
For example, right now, CNN has 18 reporters overseas. CBS has 19, and ABC has 17. Each network has a reporter on the USS Constitution aircraft carrier.
But let's be realistic: What new news is there to cover on an aircraft carrier? Day one: A bunch of planes took off. Day two: A bunch of planes took off. Day three: Even more planes took off.
Most people would rather know the overall scheme of war — how is the battle plan going, how far have we gone into Baghdad, etc. — than have some khaki-clad talking head rambling the same old stuff into a video camera.
Don't get me wrong: Journalists need to cover this war, without a doubt. But do we need so many of them?
— JENNIFER WILSON
