Newsweek, CBS, and the New York Times

[IHL]

Well, we can now add Newsweek to the list of the mainstream media that rush in at any attempt to make America look bad - no matter what the cost.

Newsweek reported a false report that in part said that U.S interrogatories, "had placed Korans on toilets, and in at least one case flushed a holy book down the toilet." The source of this information was a "anonymous, unnamed source". The truth is, it never happened. It was a false story that Newsweek rushed to publish in yet another attempt to make America look bad across the world. Unfortunately, it doesn't end there. As a result of this fabricated story, many have died as protesters riot (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8454443)as a result of the incompetence of Newsweek (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7797570/). Latest reports show as many as 16 dead as a direct result of this story having been published.

So how does Newsweek respond to the deaths that occurred due to their story and the dangers they caused to American soldiers placed in harms way? From Newsweek's web site: "we regret that we got any part of our story wrong, and extend our sympathies to victims of the violence and to the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst." Touching huh?

You would think that with the fabricated stories from the New York Times and the document scandal with Dan Rather and CBS, the major news outlets would take a bit of care before reporting these sort of things. It seems however that their lust to denigrate the United States military is too great.

We'll see if anything results from this but somehow I suspect it will all be swept under the rug. But, if these groups find another story to make America look bad you can bet that will not be swept away. Those stories will live on forever just as they like to do with Abu Ghraib.

And let's not forget - many of the people that were incensed over this story when they thought it might be true are the same people that love to run around and burn the American flag.

[Guns R Cool]

Is it even possible to flush a book down the toilet? Especially the Koran, I've seen those before and they're big.

I find it ironic that if this happened to the bible and the religious right freaked out, the liberals would call us stupid and whatnot. But when a Koran is desecrated and the Muslims freak out, the liberals defend them by saying that they're defending their beliefs or whatever.

[redwinger13]

I remember a few months ago...A female soldier pretended to have taken her tampon out and rubbed the blood on the detainees face...I liberal media didn't run a story on that, but they have to make up there own story to make the US look bad.

[Count Rugen]

I remember a few months ago...A female soldier pretended to have taken her tampon out and rubbed the blood on the detainees face...I liberal media didn't run a story on that, but they have to make up there own story to make the US look bad.
Does the tampon story somehow make the US look good? Why did the "liberal media" hide it?
If it wasn't in the "liberal media" how did you hear about it?

Newsweek didn't make up a story, they used uncorroborated information, something they should not have done and they should be very sorry for what happened in Afghanistan. Do they hate America? Only if you're the kind of person that thinks questioning the government is wrong.

[redwinger13]

I heard the tampon story on Hannity and Colmes

[Guns R Cool]

Does the tampon story somehow make the US look good? Why did the "liberal media" hide it?
If it wasn't in the "liberal media" how did you hear about it?

Newsweek didn't make up a story, they used uncorroborated information, something they should not have done and they should be very sorry for what happened in Afghanistan. Do they hate America? Only if you're the kind of person that thinks questioning the government is wrong.

Why are you supporting them? What they reported wasn't news, it was gossip.

[Count Rugen]

Why are you supporting them? What they reported wasn't news, it was gossip.
Where did I support them? What they did was wrong, and they should feel responsible for what happened in Afghanistan. The reason they should feel responsible is because they failed to get corroboration. The man that gave them the information quickly backtracked his original story. When you have more than one source for a story backtracking is not as easily done.

[IHL]

Do they hate America? Only if you're the kind of person that thinks questioning the government is wrong.I'm not accusing them of hating America. I'm accusing them of rushing to stories that denigrate America because either they like to do it, or because they think it will sell more magazines. Either way, they are just as despicable. And what does this have to do with questioning government? Question government all you want but do so based on accurate information. I'll give you the technicality that they didn't 'make up' this story, but they might as well have. Someone made it up and Newsweek ran with it. That makes them culpable.

The media (MSNBC I think) is also running with stories that members of our military raped inmates. Their source? Terrorist suspect inmates. The media doesn't hesitate to run those stories, but when Juanita Broaddrick, Linda Tripp, Kathleen Willey, Elizabeth Ward Gracen and others accused Bill Clinton of rape and intimidation charges (http://www.judicialwatch.org/archive/1999/printer_264.shtml), the media barely utters a word about it and passes it off as a "partisan rant" or a vast right wing conspiracy.

[God v2.0]

To Newsweek,

Dude, where's your integrity?

-Love, from your soon to be smiter of Earth

GOD

[Oculus Dexter]

IHL is right. (Hehe.) This will be swept under the rug. Either that or the media some how turn it all around and pin everything on conservatives, or maybe the President.

The media these days reminds me of Jim Carey as the Riddler in Batman Forever. Using TV’s to suck out every last drop of intelligence from viewers.

[jackalope_herder]

I thought this was a funny (and very vulgar look) at the scandal (http://www.angrypatrioticbastard.com/entMedia.html)

[deek]

i was going to post about the same thing before reading this article. charges should be brought against anyone at newsweek that contributed to this...(actually, just the person that wrote it to be fair). if you yell "FIRE" in a crowded theatre and people get trampled trying to escape you are held resposible. this is the exact same thing. what this person did is against the law in this country (not writing the lie...but causing a panic/riot). he/she should be charged with the wrongful death of all 16 or however many people it was. and newsweek should be sued by all of the people it affected.

[jackalope_herder]

i was going to post about the same thing before reading this article. charges should be brought against anyone at newsweek that contributed to this...(actually, just the person that wrote it to be fair). if you yell "FIRE" in a crowded theatre and people get trampled trying to escape you are held resposible. this is the exact same thing. what this person did is against the law in this country (not writing the lie...but causing a panic/riot). he/she should be charged with the wrongful death of all 16 or however many people it was. and newsweek should be sued by all of the people it affected.

The word you're looking for is Bad Tendency, and yes, It's not constitutionally protected speech and YES, they can be prosecuted (but you'd need a *&^% good lawyer).

[lordnyra]

That stuff really pisses me off. They probably destroyed the peace in Afganistan that the U.S. has tried so hard to make. The story is made up! If someone says something that never happened then it was made up! Also in case anyone doesnt know the first amendment allows freedom of speech AS LONG IF IT DOES NOT HURT SOMEONES REPUTATION. Clearly this is hurting our reputation and it is killing people. Newsweek should be destroyed.

[Tootoo]

It’s really not a huge deal, as far as I am concerned, but parents who might choose schools based upon Newsweek’s top 1000 schools may care.


Archives: St. Petersburg Times (http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/343029971.html?MAC=a446a58271b0694f49b849c077596c7 f&did=343029971&FMT=FT&FMTS=FT&date=May+28%2C+2003&author=DONNA+WINCHESTER&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&printformat=&desc=Ranking+pleases+one+Pinellas+school%2C+puzzle s+another)
[Jay Mathews], who writes for Newsweek and the Washington Post, uses a single criterion in determining “The 100 Best High Schools” list. Arguing that the best schools are those that make the most effort to place students in college-level courses, he works out the number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in 2002 and divides it by the number of graduating seniors.

Mike Burkett, assistant principal in charge of testing at the school, said he spoke with Mathews after the first poll in 2000. “I told him that what was misleading was that the index merely measures how many exams are given at a school based upon population,” Burkett said.

Burkett said a better indicator of a school’s success would be how many students do well on the exams. But Mathews says he does not count passing rates because most American high schools allow only A students to take the higher-level courses.


This is the recap version of the article. What it shows to me is a complete lack of desire to present Newsweek readers with accurate information.