Why does the main stream media say they support the troops,...?

Question

but won't report on, or credit them, with their success? Shouldn't this article(and the hundreds of other success stories) be getting play on all major networks / newspapers?

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/07/ap_marines_afghan_070908/

Answer 1

The sad truth is our media does not see the value in airing what our troops are doing. I fully support our troops and know from many that are there, that they have great successes, but that is always over shadowed by the bickering of politicians and others.

Answer 2

If you google for the Marine quoted, Col. Peter Petronzio, you will find more than 250 news articles (reports on the claim of 400 insurgents killed) reported on-line in the past four hours.  That is until 15:40 on Wednesday 9 July 2008

This is a breaking story.  You need to allow news outlets time to repeat this report from the Marine Corps Times. This MCT report was posted By Jason Straziuso of The Associated Press on Wednesday Jul 9, 2008 15:05:15 EDT.

Your question was posted on Yahoo Answers on Wednesday Jul 9, 2008 at 15:12 EDT.

Unfair to say that just because an article is released today on militarytimes.com that the mainstream press is not reporting this information.  The original AP report was only released nine hours ago.

Also unfair to say "the main stream media say they support the troops" because this is not the job of the press.....the role of journalists is to tell the truth as reported by other people.

Hope this answer helps you.

And one more point which is military and not journalism.

You cite this AP article as an example of "success."  As a veteran of three wars, including Vietnam where the false yardstick of "body count" was used, I can tell you that killing more insurgents is not success -- just an indication there are more out there.

Answer 3

They SAY they support the troops because they don't want to be aligned with idiots who treated the troops so shabbily and shamefully during and immediately after the Vietnam War. We've seen so many stories in the last 30 years of heroic men and women who risked life and limb for us in Vietnam, only to have hippie jack@sses spit on them, etc. - that's the thanks they got. The idiots in the media just don't want people to think of them the same way.

And the people who say they "support the troops but not the war" are ridiculous! It's the TROOPS who carry out the business of the war! That's like saying they're all puppets! These people join the Military for more reason than just because they want to get their school paid for -- they do it because they believe in fighting for freedom. They KNOW  there's a possibility they could go to war, and they join up anyway! That's like saying, "I support the people who WORK at McDonald's, but I don't support McDonald's - their policies, etc." THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE! McDonald's (or the war, for argument) is not a living entity -- without its people, it doesn't exist!