[net.politics] Air raid on Libya and TV coverage

weemba@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (Matthew P. Wiener) (04/23/86)

In article <7404@cca.UUCP> dee@cca.UUCP (Donald Eastlake) writes:
>I am pretty disgusted with the TV coverage of the aftermath of the raid
>on Libya....                                 ... I think that one could
>reasonably be opposed to such slanted coverage regardless of whether you
>thought the US raid was, on balance, a good idea or not.  It is not even
>that I would mind slanted coverage, it is the essentially total shut out
>of any pro US administration views ...

I think all the media is interested in is making money.  If it's more
fascinating to the public to show ranting and raving Libyans, as opposed
to a boring interview with G Schultz, then that's what's going to get
shown on TV.  As it is, most of the footage angers most Americans, and
does not convince them that Reagan is a loonie.

If you were correct, the media will carefully avoid showing any more
results of terrorist attacks on Americans.

ucbvax!brahms!weemba	Matthew P Wiener/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720

bane@parcvax.UUCP (05/02/86)

Well, the raid happened.  What is the result?  It had SOME effect: on
"All Things considered" (or was it "Morning Edition) I heard that
suddenly translators were being corrected: "Oh, no, we didn't mean
'liquidate American influence', liquidate means kill; we meant
'remove'."  The news story said that apparently khadaffi's coalition
(and I thought he ruled by himself!) was trying to tone him down.

On the other hand, days after I heard that, I heard that terrorism was
being increased, perhaps testing Reagan to see if he will follow
through on his commitment to militarily oppose terrorism.

Whether or not it was the right thing to do, one thing is certain: the
raid will be worse than useless if not followed up.  We've already
shown our willingness to use military force against terrorism (or,
we've already lowered ourselves to the terrorists level); to change
our tactics now would say, "well, we didn't REALLY mean it", which
prompts sneers from the terrorists, and won't convince anyone who
thought the bombing raid was a horrible thing.

				- rene
-- 
Rene P S (nee Steiner) Bane
bane@parcvax