Anatomy of a CNN News Article
CNN: "Some critics say Sheehan is exploiting her son's death to promote a left-wing agenda supported by her and groups with which she associates. They say scores of Americans, including relatives of soldiers killed in Iraq, support Bush and his plans to keep troops there." [ link to CNN article: Candlelight vigils protest war in Iraq ]
We've become so accustomed to this type of slanted media reporting that we often fail to notice that in reality we are receiving propoganda, and not news. The next time you read or listen to any news coverage of these events, watch for the introduction of statements like this. It's the media's way of slamming something while claiming to be just reporting the news, and I guarantee that more often than not news reporting on anti-war activism will contain a "slam" statement.
The Facts: For starters, the CNN article, which is undeniably presented to the public as an objective news article and not an editorial opinion, never cites who these "some critics" are. So what we have here is CNN introducing an anonymous and viciously negative statement aimed at discrediting the thousands of anti-war candle light vigils held to protest the war in Iraq.
CNN: "FreeRepublic.com, which holds rallies to support troops and to counter anti-war demonstrations, planned to hold a pro-Bush rally Wednesday night at the same time and same Washington, D.C., park as a candlelight vigil there."
The Facts: Interesting that CNN felt obliged to tell us about one of the most virulent right wing groups in the country holding a demonstration without mentioning how extremist they are, or that about five people with two banners actually showed up in a single city from this group, while anti-war demonstrations took place in 1500 cities across the country.
|
|
CNN: "For us the organizers of the vigil are phony-baloney, betraying the sacrifices that those, men and women make in Iraq, by demanding that we pull our troops out now and leave Iraq to go to hell," said Kristinn Taylor, co-leader of the group's Washington, D.C., chapter. "This is a publicity stunt."
The Facts: CNN also apparently felt obliged to give the longest quote in the article to Free Republic, again without mentioning that they had turned out only five people at a single demonstration.
CNN: "The vigils were urged by Cindy Sheehan, who has become the icon of the anti-war movement since she started a protest August 6 in memory of her son Casey, who died in Iraq last year."
That said, if I had to rate this CNN article on a scale of bias, I would have to say that is was not nearly as hostile to anti-war sentiments as many others I have read recently. It actually did manage to report at least few facts accurately, the likely reason being that open opposition to the war is no longer confined to left and progressive circles and the usual suspects such as yours truly.
The Facts: "Icon of the anti-war movement"? Again, an interesting choice of words and thinly veiled sarcasm in what is supposed to be a news article and not an editorial. Of course, the unofficial media rule is to NEVER cover an anti-war event without slamming it in one way or another, without reporting the government's position, and without reporting that there are pro-war demonstrators, no matter how few in numbers they may be.
Sources:
Candlelight vigils protest war in Iraq