Margolis: Bush's tame U.S. media may yet have teeth

[Sticky]

MIAMI -- I've long considered CNN's Christiane Amanpour an outstanding journalist. Last week, my opinion of her rose further when she ignited a storm of controversy when asked by a TV interviewer about the U.S. media's coverage of the Iraq war.
Breaking a taboo of silence in the mainstream media, Amanpour courageously replied, "I think the press was muzzled and I think the press self-muzzled. Television ... was intimidated by the (Bush) administration and its foot soldiers at Fox News."

<snip>

Christiane Amanpour is absolutely right. The U.S. media was muzzled and censored itself.
I experienced this firsthand on U.S. TV, radio and in print. Never in my 20 years in media have I seen such unconscionable pressure exerted on journalists to conform to the government's party lineCriticism of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, photos of dead American soldiers or civilians killed by bombing, were forbidden or downplayed.

The tone of reporting had to be strongly positive, filled with uplifting stories about liberation and women freed from repression. Criticism, sharp questions and doubt were verboten.

<snip>

The American media, notably the sycophantic White House press corps and flagwavers at Fox, treated President George Bush and his entourage with adulation and fawning servility similar to what the Soviet state media once lavished on Communist Party Chairman Leonid Brezhnev.

Much more:
http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/margolis_sep21.html

[Manix]

1. ...well said

I hope he is right about the media now taking the gloves off..maybe the blood in the water thing.

[teryang]

2. Great piece

It should be published in every media forum in America. But it won't be.

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. I sent an email to Christiane

to thank her for telling the truth. Everyone should thank her and support her. We need journalists like her! Here's a link to sent her a note. http://www.cnn.com/feedback/anchors/amanpour/frameset.exclude.html

[JohnyCanuck]

4. Me too n/t

n/t

[Lindacooks]

5. Done

n/t

[glarius]

6. Come to think of it, Amanpour hasn't been on CNN lately, has she?

Is CNN muzzling her?

:shrug: