Do you trust the mainstream media reporting in Iraq?

[Kozmos]

This is essential reading: Pentagon threatens to kill independent reporters in Iraq

For those who answer 'Yes', I would be interested in you giving reasons why - and I don't mean replies like 'well who do you trust then?', I mean a simple answer to the simple question: why do you trust the mainstream media?

 

[midwintertears]

I don't. Neither fox/cnn nor iraqi tv, its just propaganda.

 

[rahvin]

i voted no. i'd just like to point out that i don't trust any media at the moment. there's a war going on and i don't assume there is any voice out there - among those loud enough to be heard by me - that was not bought and sold one way or the other. call it generalized cynicism, i might be wrong and all, but if i trust my logic i cannot believe there are unbiased sources of information right now.

rahvin.

 

[veil the sky]

it's not a question of trusting your sources rather than knowing how to interpret the information you DO get access to.

sometimes you can learn more from the way a story has been reported a story than the information they are gving you....

 

[Tenet]

I don't. Neither fox/cnn nor iraqi tv, its just propaganda.

Too true.

 

[rahvin]

sometimes you can learn more from the way a story has been reported a story than the information they are gving you....

definitely, i agree. lies are often quite revealing. if more people had the skills to interpret what they hear, propaganda and shampoo commercials would likely suffer a momentous defeat.

rahvin.

 

[Arch]

Although most of the war coverage and reports are true, there are some with opinions and blatantly false reports. Regardless, I don't trust the mainstream media reports because of that.

 

[ricochet]

Definitely not.

 

[veil the sky]

definitely, i agree. lies are often quite revealing. if more people had the skills to interpret what they hear, propaganda and shampoo commercials would likely suffer a momentous defeat. /forum/images/smilies/wink.gif

rahvin.

hahahaa!!! so true!

 

[Kozmos]

it's not a question of trusting your sources

Although I agree with the rest of your post, my question IS precisely about this. I'm addressing the raw reporting and whether or not people feel that they are having major issues censored and/or being fed disinformation.

The issue of the 'slant' of reporting and the persuasive terminology used is a related propaganda issue but not the direct point of my question. I want to ascertain whether or not people believe things they are told when there is no direct evidence presented and whether or not people believe that evidence that is presented does lead to the conclusions that they are presented with. *sorry, long sentance*

 

[Kozmos]

Although most of the war coverage and reports are true

You obviously voted 'No' but I'd still be interested in what makes you believe the above.

 

[Kozmos]

i'd just like to point out that i don't trust any media at the moment

Indeed, I agree! I was concentrating on the mainstream media because that's what most people are exposed to and the most likely target for censorship.

 

[MetalManCPA]

I only trust that reports when they are actually speaking to those who have been in battle - not when you see the generals at the pentagon giving you their daily update. I don't believe a front line soldier is going to lie about what he/she saw.

The biggest part of this whole story I'm trying to get a grip on (truth wise) is all the stories of the things the Iraqi soldiers are supposedly doing. But even if it's true that they asre using hospitals to hide out, or dressing as civilians, or pretending to surrender - why should there be any surprise? This is a war, and no matter what the Geneva Convention says, when you are on the front line putting your life on the line, anything goes.

BTW - I voted no.