Sunday, July 24, 2005
Sounds like a job for Pajamas Media!
Every week, there are about a dozen Instapundit posts that make me throw up my hands, roll my eyes and groan. I resist attempting to rebut it, because, well why bother? Nonetheless, I thought I'd point out this recent doozy, which is probably not the most egregious or ill-thought-out thing he's tapped out in the last week, but is still pretty representative:
Hey, there are anti-terror protests! That's super! But here's the thing, Prof. Reynolds: who among us out there supports terrorism? Well, Muslim extremists and wackos on the left and right. Let's put it this way: If some intrepid blogger found out that Germans were holding a rally denouncing Adolf Hitler would that be newsworthy? Would there be blanket coverage? Of course not. Because everyone agree with the sentiment. People think Hitler sucks in the same way that people think terrorism sucks. The only way those protests would make news is if the Muslims in Antelope started talking about the good things that terrorism produces.
And a final point. Implying that the press somehow doesn't want to "eliminate terrorism" by virtue of its news judgement is not only deeply flawed reasoning, it's deeply offensive. But then, I'm no expert on this. As a wise man once argued, if we just stop talking about terrorism, it'll all go away.
UPDATE: Yeah, so that protest in Antelope was covered by a sharp-eyed blogger, right? A web-based super-sleuth catching the evil media napping? Well, no. Glenn Reynolds, meet the Antelope Valley Press (daily circ., 26,065) . If you go to the website now the protests are the lead story. Also it was covered in a lenghty article in the L.A. Daily News (daily circ, 200,000) The blackout spreads.
AN ANTI-TERROR RALLY BY MUSLIMS in Antelope Valley, California. You know, if these people had blown something up, they'd be getting more press. Which suggests that if the press wants to help eliminate terrorism, it should adjust its priorities.
UPDATE: Here's a report of an antiterror protest in Iraq, too. The same point applies.
ANOTHER UPDATE: There's more anti-terror protest action in Denmark.
Hey, there are anti-terror protests! That's super! But here's the thing, Prof. Reynolds: who among us out there supports terrorism? Well, Muslim extremists and wackos on the left and right. Let's put it this way: If some intrepid blogger found out that Germans were holding a rally denouncing Adolf Hitler would that be newsworthy? Would there be blanket coverage? Of course not. Because everyone agree with the sentiment. People think Hitler sucks in the same way that people think terrorism sucks. The only way those protests would make news is if the Muslims in Antelope started talking about the good things that terrorism produces.
And a final point. Implying that the press somehow doesn't want to "eliminate terrorism" by virtue of its news judgement is not only deeply flawed reasoning, it's deeply offensive. But then, I'm no expert on this. As a wise man once argued, if we just stop talking about terrorism, it'll all go away.
UPDATE: Yeah, so that protest in Antelope was covered by a sharp-eyed blogger, right? A web-based super-sleuth catching the evil media napping? Well, no. Glenn Reynolds, meet the Antelope Valley Press (daily circ., 26,065) . If you go to the website now the protests are the lead story. Also it was covered in a lenghty article in the L.A. Daily News (daily circ, 200,000) The blackout spreads.
Permalink posted by Jonathan : 5:06 AM
