Lowry to conservatives: Stop whining about the media
posted at 10:03 pm on December 19, 2006 by Allahpundit
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Dude, he’s totally not getting an invite to the Jamilgate victory party.
The mainstream media is biased, arrogant, prone to stultifying group-think and much more fallible than its exalted self-image allows it to admit. It also, however, can be right, and this is most confounding to conservatives…
The “good news” that conservatives have accused the media of not reporting has generally been pretty weak. The Iraqi elections were indeed major accomplishments. But the opening of schools and hospitals is not particularly newsworthy, at least not compared with American casualties and with sectarian attacks meant to bring Iraq down around everyone’s heads in a full-scale civil war. An old conservative chestnut has it that only four of Iraq’s 18 provinces are beset by violence. True, but those provinces include 40 percent of the population, as well as the capital city, where the battle over the country’s future is being waged.
In their distrust of the mainstream media, their defensiveness over President Bush and the war, and their understandable urge to buck up the nation’s will, many conservatives lost touch with reality on Iraq. They thought that they were contributing to our success, but they were only helping to forestall a cold look at conditions there and the change in strategy and tactics that would be dictated by it…
Conservatives need to realize that something is not dubious just because it’s reported by the New York Times…
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I understand his point, and it makes no sense to scream bias when there is none. But the thing is, there’s way too much. Sure, the Times can be right about things when it gives us straight news. When we get lies, propaganda, and leaked classified info, then I have a problem with them.
JammieWearingFool on December 19, 2006 at 10:09 PM
And just how did Walter Cronkite (the media “giant” himself) affect the war in Vietnam? Keeping in mind that – at that time – there was no blogosphere and there was no radio awash with partisan voices. All we heard from Cronkite was negative; all he did was stir up national resentment toward the military and American action there – and witness the result. A forum for conservative voices to “whine” about liberal media bias (thereby forestalling a cold look at the situation as argued in his point) wasn’t there to have the impact he proposes happens today. So then in comparing then, with now, what is his point?
thedecider on December 19, 2006 at 10:13 PM
Circular argument,the whole notion of “this war is wrong” has been their mantra,so when public opinion trends that way they are proven right. Such a heaping pile of dung from the ground up .Has Saudi money gotten this deep or is he just doing it for free like good a little dhimmi,trying to beat the rush and all.
bbz123 on December 19, 2006 at 10:13 PM
Okay.
So the major media outlets downplay anything possibly encouraging in Iraq, exaggerate or fabricate negative events, predict disaster from the very beginng of the war, in short do everything possible to undermine our troop’s mission in the Mid-East, and yet we’re just supposed to slough it off and move on.
Okay Richie.
Whatever you say.
billy on December 19, 2006 at 10:16 PM
I don’t know how Mrs. Bush can figure it, not being a mind reader, but I have to tell you, from what I’ve read, even the media’s worst case scenarios are not worse than WWI or WWII. As best I can tell, they’re about the same, except with staggeringly low troop losses. Dresden, now that was horrifying. London during the blitz was evidently pretty bad too. So excuse me for not being overcome by the ongoing relentless media revelation that war does indeed suck. It’s the ultimate dog bites man story, and it does nothing to help us win. It’s not so much that they’re reporting the bad news, and only the bad news, although that’s certainly true. It’s that they openly celebrate it.
Laura on December 19, 2006 at 10:16 PM
I don’t automatically consider any the NYTimes prints as dubious …… Ok, I do.
Buzzy on December 19, 2006 at 10:17 PM
Dresden’s legacy became even more horrifying in the decades after World War II, in a perfect storm of propaganda and revisionist history between the East Germans and Holocaust denier David Irving. It’s a reminder of just how malleable history truly is–even when it involves a war that even the left thought was justified.
Ed Driscoll on December 19, 2006 at 10:22 PM
decider –
I guess he means that since we’re being screwed, we should just relax and enjoy it. Since there’s absolutely no connection whatsoever between a defeatist press and public opinion, and that the enemy couldn’t possibly be emboldened by our upcoming surrender… It’s not like that ever happened before, say in Vietnam, where people could learn from history or anything.
Laura on December 19, 2006 at 10:24 PM
LOL. Exactly my feelings toward anyone who accuses conservatives of “whining” over liberal media bias.
thedecider on December 19, 2006 at 10:27 PM
Allen Colmes obviously got Rich to smoke the big weed after he co-hosted this year. Sounds just like Allen’s writing.
Griz on December 19, 2006 at 10:28 PM
And this really frosts me –
What a load of crap. They didn’t predict that AT ALL. It was gloom and doom even in 2003 before the first boot hit the ground.
Laura on December 19, 2006 at 10:30 PM
And this really frosts me –
What a load of garbage. They didn’t predict that AT ALL. It was gloom and doom even in 2003 before the first boot hit the ground.
/if this double posts – sorry…
Laura on December 19, 2006 at 10:31 PM
He’s largely right, though.
Of course, he’s not really talking about things like Jamilgate–as you’ve said, Jamil’s not about the situation in Iraq not being as bad as the media makes it out to be. That’s leftwing hack spin. It’s about incompetent and apparently dishonest reporting.
Alex K on December 19, 2006 at 10:38 PM
So Lowry got a shot at a gig for one of the Big Five?
Misha I on December 19, 2006 at 10:55 PM
P.S.: Maybe I’ll start taking him seriously when he gets old enough to shave.
Misha I on December 19, 2006 at 10:56 PM
Bing! Much as I believe — and have stated here — that even the most conservative Senator has more in common with the most liberal Senator than he does with the most conservative voter, Beltway pundits have no connection with reality outside of the Beltway.
They have only the insular world of Beltway politics, cocktail party acquaintances, mutual friends from U of M, Georgetown and Columbia, inside sources who serve both sides of the aisle. And the lines blur.
And Lowry starts to think “if I don’t acknowledge the rare successes of the enemy, they won’t take me seriously when I point out their failures”. And then it’s a short stumble to making up successes that don’t exist…
Jaibones on December 19, 2006 at 11:07 PM
He doesn’t get it. Let’s suppose that
1) the NT Times coverage is unbiased,
2) the NY Times discovered humility (no more arrogance)
3) the NT Times shed group-think.
The NY Times is STILL a dubious source of information. Why is that, you say? Is it because I’m conservative loon? Nope. It’s because even if all these things were true, the MSM decides (on my behalf) what is newsworthy and what isn’t newsworthy. I have the grounds to object based on that fact alone. I want LOTS of different sources of news. And I don’t need some MSM clown interpreting the news for me or telling me what it means. Some of us want to formulate our own opinions about things that interest us based on our own research/investigations. Pardon me for being fiercely independent.
CyberCipher on December 19, 2006 at 11:19 PM
This may be true…however, there has been a lack of reporting on the US military accomplishments. We hear reports of how many of our sons and daughters were killed by the enemy. Why don’t we hear about captured and killed enemy? Why don’t we see reports of the # of weapons cache’s found? Why don’t we know the #’s of patrols conducted. How many good guys participated? How many bad guys detained? How many insurgent safe houses inspected and cleared? This is the balance I’ve been looking for. And the only place to hear this information is from MILBLOGS.
Melba Toast on December 19, 2006 at 11:24 PM
The bottom line is this: No nation can succeed by force of arms when it is constantly besieged with enemy propaganda. What, in the end is the purpose of the First Amendment if it only succeeds in undermining the only nation which upholds it?
billy on December 19, 2006 at 11:30 PM
The enemedia (msm) just continues to vent their frustration at not being able control the news cycle anymore. If they would just report ALL of the facts, and leave the editorializing to the editorial page, their credibility would leap upwards. Unfortunately, their almost cult like adherence to the liberal/left agenda will never allow that. Therefore, they will continue to lose viewers/readers, while Fox news and the alternate media continue to grow. Blog on Hot Air, keep up the great work.
still468 on December 19, 2006 at 11:33 PM
Et tu, Walter?
bdfaith on December 19, 2006 at 11:59 PM
“something is not dubious just because it’s reported by the New York Times…”
When they repeatedly expose national security secrets in order to undermine the government during wartime, deliberatly slant their reporting, and act as an arm of the Democratic Party, then THEY HAVE NO CREDIBILIY. And we have no reason to believe what they publish.
georgej on December 20, 2006 at 12:16 AM
Mark Halperin, ABC News Political Director on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show explains why we are justified in criticizing the media.
georgej on December 20, 2006 at 12:19 AM
I don’t understand why opening of schools and hospitals is not newsworthy. Also, Brit Hume mentioned some great strides by the Iraqi economy. I would think some good human interest stories would sell news.
mikeyboss on December 20, 2006 at 12:21 AM
Why not, Rich? In any action, to win, one must keep the home team motivated. Besides, has anyone seen any story about the positive things done there on any MSM network?
Personally, I think the WWII media control was a good thing. Does it serve any purpose to constantly hammer the negative?
Can you imagine Roosevelt or Eisenhower explaining why schools were bombed in Bremen? Or, why over 60% of the airborne troops never hit their drop zones in the hours preceeding D-Day?
Sure Rich, we all want the truth. The entire truth, not night after night of the missteps of our good men and women over there doing nothing more than their honorable duty.
The fact that the media is right doesn’t confound me, Rich. What confounds me is getting half of the story.
All I ask is for the media to report the facts and let me decide what is newsworthy, not some Ivory Tower pundit like you or David Gregory.
BacaDog on December 20, 2006 at 1:16 AM
Terrorism is only effective in the court of Pubic Opinion, the attacks really have little military impact It is the public response that the terrorist count on for Victory.
Another way to put it would be that 60% of Iraq is peaceful and progressing towards a free democratic nation that with a little effort we can overcome the jihadist and bring peace to all of Iraq…
But if it is an outright lie can we get just a little upset?
Gwillie on December 20, 2006 at 2:09 AM
Here’s an interesting perspective – What if we are winning?
Newsweak actually reported on some astonishing gains in the Iraqi economy, but not the significance of those gains. There’s a lot there to think about.
Laura on December 20, 2006 at 2:15 AM
And here’s a bunch more – We Will Decisively Win in Iraq…in 2008 – Part I
and
Laura on December 20, 2006 at 2:21 AM
Ah – just realized – the first link I posted (at 2:15 AM) is from this week, but the second (2:21 AM) is from May.
Laura on December 20, 2006 at 2:26 AM
Stop whining about the media? Might as well shut down all blogs then.
frankj on December 20, 2006 at 6:48 AM
I lost all respect for the man when he cited the UN’s figures for refugees etc., and compared this war to Vietnam.
Pam on December 20, 2006 at 7:01 AM
The MSM should be self-policing. That is, Reuters should have nailed AP about Jamilgate; AP & UPI should have drilled Reuters over fauxtography; ABC, NBC & Fox should have taken CBS to the woodshed over Dan Rather/Mary Mapes. Ironically, as cable stations make the field larger, it also becomes less diverse (as opinions and biases go). Not only do these bozos all think alike, they don’t feel the competitive urge to rip the arms and legs off their competition at every opportunity. They’d rather be anti-American/anti-military/anti-republican than pro good reporting/pro-network/pro viewer ratings.
Since they are not, the Pajama media and radio commenators (like Rush and Hannity) have filled the vacuum. I know this sounds Hegelian, but, if the MSM were self-policing, talk radio and the blogs would be much smaller and less influential.
cmay on December 20, 2006 at 7:09 AM
Let me get this right:
Lowry is a great guy, a great news analyst, strong family man, well educated, knowledgable, trustworthy, balanced in his approach to news, honest, hard worker and is a pedophile that molests children on a daily basis.
By his account I would be inaccurate only 1 out of 10, that would be acceptable.
ConservativesLowry need to realize that something is not dubious just because it’s reported by theNew York Timesright2bright…right2bright on December 20, 2006 at 8:07 AM
And something should is not an undeniable fact just because it’s reported by AP.
Don’t forget the fact that no news is good news as well. This is something I would like to see at sometime. “Yesterday a US patrol was attacked in Ramadi, however 20 other patrols in Ramadi saw no action.”
BohicaTwentyTwo on December 20, 2006 at 9:52 AM
Its nice to see that I’m not the only one that has been suspecting for some time that Mr. Lowry is going native.
His unremarkable assertion that something is not dubious simply because its reported in the NYT is equal parts banal and reductio ad absurdam with regard to conservative complaints about the NYT.
Lowry cheerleaded for this war and now he’s having second thoughts. That would be a lot easier to take if it didn’t seem as though those second thoughts were being driven by excessive exposure to Georgetown culture, resulting in the most obvious and pedestrian recitation of liberal cliches.
Fred on December 20, 2006 at 9:54 AM
Lowry’s been to one too many beltway parties, with Bill Crystal in tow.
Weenies.
fogw on December 20, 2006 at 10:34 AM
Bill Kristol, sorry
fogw on December 20, 2006 at 10:57 AM
Buckley retires, and these guys go soft as grapes.
They may believe in conservatism, but they believe in the power of the media more, and they believe that as part of the media priesthood, they therefore have unusual authority and insight — Apostolic succession from Buckley, and magisterium from their address in Manhattan. I no longer trust or read any of them.
The Colossus on December 20, 2006 at 11:26 AM
What Lowry seems to be missing is that this war is all about public perception. And while performance critiques are good, what the media is doing is subversion. They are not interested in helping us achieve victory. They are trying to enusre our defeat. Why? For domestic political power. They have proven with this past election that a US defeat means a lib victory.
Lowry discounts the effect that good news would have on the war effort. He denigrates the efforts to report the building of schools and infrastructure, the fact that the majority of Iraq is secure etc.
He forgets propaganda 101. Downplay the negative, up-play the positive. The media is acting as the enemy’s propagandists. We need counter-propaganda, however pathetic in Lowry’s eyes, to stop the enemy propaganda’s corrosive effects.
Iblis on December 20, 2006 at 11:52 AM
Lowry needs to get over himself. His opinion is merely his opinnion.
EF on December 20, 2006 at 12:30 PM
Well everything is relative, isn’t it? In what country, on what planet, is a bomb killing 20/30/40 etc people not the top news story? This whole notion that there are kids being innoculated and schools being built is reminescent of Mussolini getting the trains to run on time.
honora on December 20, 2006 at 12:45 PM
No, AP.
Lowry is just a jerk.
Misha I on December 20, 2006 at 1:05 PM
During a war, when that kind of thing is actually pretty normal. There were not headlines every time the Germans dropped a bomb on London and killed that many people, nor in Dresden, for example. And when’s the last time you saw headlines about the bombs the Palis have been flipping over the Israeli border pretty much continuously for the last year or so? How is that many deaths a day not normal, under the circumstances?
It’s a dog bites man story.
Laura on December 20, 2006 at 1:08 PM
Uh, that would be right here, where the White House Press Corps is trying desperately to get to the bottom of the Laura Bush mole debacle.
fogw on December 20, 2006 at 1:12 PM
What? You can’t be serious? During the Battle of Britain, this story completely dominated the news in the US. Dresden was major front page news. (In those days, it was not just newspaper and radio, but the movie newsreels as well).
honora on December 20, 2006 at 3:15 PM
How about getting some perspective? This story was not the lead story, anywhere. The story such as it was, was one of those inside the beltway things, ooohhhh, Tony Snow is getting snippy with reporters. Film at eleven. Geez.
honora on December 20, 2006 at 3:17 PM
Just shows, without a doubt, that this guy is a heartless selfish bastard! Screw the future of Iraq, he really doesn’t care if they have health care or education for 2-3 decades, just give him some dead Americans so he can write.
He’s worthless, one mindset, no originality. Lowry cant write unless its about death, he’s a selfish narcissistic child. That is a redundant statement, on purpose.
Lowry probably started the cheating trend in J-School.
shooter on December 20, 2006 at 3:26 PM
Ms H. Welcome back,…. I think.
The keyword is TOP story, not ONLY story.
shooter on December 20, 2006 at 3:30 PM
What reporters? There were reporters there?
Oooohhh, you mean those children stretching their hands high in the air so teacher would call on them? Me Next! Me next! What was Laura hiding? We have a right to peek into her private life! Are the cameras rolling? Hope my stupid questions are the lead-in on Perky Katie’s show tonight?
Reporters my #ss.
fogw on December 20, 2006 at 3:42 PM
Not every single individual bombing of the thousands, or tens of thousands, that were dropped, no. The fact that bombing was happening, yes. In the context of a battle. In the context that this is what happens during war.
Laura on December 20, 2006 at 3:45 PM
You cannot see the difference between destroying human life, dignity and freedom, and building such. It may be reminescent to you, because you, being a liberal, may pine for those great socialists days. Those are the historical voices that liberals echo today. I pray that your children are never placed under the control of people that you revere.
right2bright on December 20, 2006 at 3:47 PM
Mussolini, one of the great socialists….merciful God, is history completely forgotten?
honora on December 20, 2006 at 4:00 PM
The part I don’t get is all of the conservatives who agree with Lowry. The lefty media types are so arrogantly wrong, on so many issues, that it serves us well to assume that everything they say is a lie.
Jose Chupacabra on December 20, 2006 at 5:32 PM
Yes, Miss Know-it-all. Believe it or not, both Nazism and Fascism as practiced under Hitler and Mussolini were jumped-up versions of Socialism/Communism.
Lowry, if it wasn’t obvious before–which it was–is a complete Conservative sellout, which is pretty much true of the whole NRO gang.
He’s dead wrong about Media bias and we’re quite right to “whine.”
Actually, it’s demeaning and insulting to call what we’re doing whining when our nation is at war and the MSM has been openly helping our enemies.
Their “news” coverage has gotten American and Allied soldiers killed.
We’re not whining: it’s outrage and righteous outrage at that.
[By the way, let me take this opportunity to say "Merry Christmas!" to all men and women of good will here on HotAir, especially AP. And Happy Hannukah to my Jewish friends, too!]
Jen the Neocon on December 20, 2006 at 6:07 PM
Yes, Miss Know-it-all. Believe it or not, both Nazism and Fascism as practiced under Hitler and Mussolini were jumped-up versions of Socialism/Communism.
Jen the Neocon on December 20, 2006 at 6:07 PM
Thanks Jen, the amazing thing is that honora does not distance herself from my remarks. She, like most liberals, embrace socialists.
right2bright on December 20, 2006 at 8:11 PM
Lowry is selling out to the DC/Rockafeller Republicans.
Tim Burton on December 20, 2006 at 8:13 PM
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