Manns Medium

Has anyone else noticed that journalist’s deaths follow closely after news reports about that individual and posted interviews with that journalist’s family.  I thought at first it was just another one of my senior moments but think about it.  For over a year, Luke Somers were held as a captive in Yemen but no one knew anything about it in the public domain because no one was reporting on it.  Only after news agencies began to paste this man’s photo and story all over the news did he lose his life.  Makes me wonder if those who held him were privy to the information media had accumulated. Another tact that the media has taken is to consider this a failed rescue attempt implying that the rescue attempt caused Mr. Somers’ death.  I’ve got to wonder what makes this rescue attempt a failure.  Was it because they did not bring him back alive or was it because someone knew they were coming before they got there?  There must be something because many new...

If you pick up the paper, two major headlines will probably jump out at you.  The continuation of the massive coverage of the Ferguson, Missouri protests and the beheading of U.S. journalist James Foley.  One of these are about to lose its appeal so soon the Ferguson story will soon go by the waste side like Aurora, Newtown, Trayvon Martin and so many others but this beheading of James Foley is just beginning to peak the interest of many.  Not because it is a story that its lessons will ever be heeded but because it was an American who was savagely killed and there are other Americans who may be next.  Now I’m not saying that is a bad thing to be concerned with any America dying especially by the hands of cowards that call themselves brave but can anyone tell me how many military personnel died during this same time? I think, one of the best articles written about Foley’s death was done so by Chelsea J. Carter for CNN titled “ Video shows ISIS beheading U.S. jou...

In an article written by Eric Lach for TPM MUCKRAKER titled “ Obamacare Foe Sneaks Back Into Media As Just A Regular Guy” , Columbia Journalism Review’s Ryan Chittum coined a phrase that I believe defines many in America, even though it greatly fits our once accomplished reporters, journalists and commentators.  The article was about a man who appeared all over the media circuit claiming to only be just a regular businessman complaining about how Obamacare was damaging his business when in fact he had ties with the very organization “the Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), a conservative, pro-business group that, among other things, was a ferocious opponent of Obamacare. (The NFIB was part of the multi-state lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the health care law.)”.  In other words the cornerstone of real journalism, the need for full disclosure, was ignored by those trusted to bring us all the news without bias.  They failed and failed mightily wh...

I say so often that many refuse to admit that media plays a really big part in keeping this nation divided as all other factors reported on.   Media seeks division because it sells and when there are no blow-ups, media can be found to light a few fuses or their choice of those they interview.   CNN choose Donald Rumsfeld to get his opinion about the Syrian airstrike.   Donald Rumsfield, are you kidding me?   Knowing that he would say something to get someone heated was a “no-brainer” and would continue to help sell their brand.   Major known newspaper now publishing an OPED authored by Russia President Putin as if what he has to say is in any way of the slightest importance to the American public. And not let us forget how now the media seems to also be playing games with this administration, giving them something to complain about regardless of which decision or any decision he makes.   Case in point, the same journalist who complained that this ...