When Progress for America tried to air a commercial with Minnesota veterans defending U.S. war policy in Iraq, they soon found their money was no good at KSTP - Channel 5. What was the offending remark in the ad that caused this censorship?
The message contains the idea "That the media only reports the bad news" and "you would never know it from the news reports, but the enemy in Iraq is al Qaeda."
This is over the line for KSTP, who believes the statements to be untrue. "That, says [General Manager Rob] Hubbard, is plainly false. He points out that both KSTP and ABC, its parent network, have reported on the Iraqi elections, progress concerning reconstruction of the country, and the reopening of its schools--all of which qualifies as 'good' news. 'When someone is watching our news, we're "the media."' Hubbard explains. 'We know that [the claim in the advertisement] is inaccurate as it relates to us.'"
Apparently they believe it is inaccurate as it relates to all media, because the commercial never mentioned KSTP. I looked through the KSTP Web site to see all these examples of reporting "good news". I couldn't find a single story, perhaps they could point us toward some of this work. For instance, an article about the Iraqi elections opines:
Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, speaking for the Democrats in their weekly radio address, said that, despite the vote, Bush was "long overdue" in spelling out how many capable Iraqi forces are needed before U.S. troops can come home, how quarreling factions in Iraq can be reconciled around a new government and how to reconstruct Iraq with less corruption. "More and more Americans are angry," Clark said in the address, which was taped Friday and aired Saturday. "They are angry about the president's incompetence and his general unwillingness to acknowledge with some humility that he has made some terrible and tragic mistakes regarding the mission in Iraq." Less than 40 percent in an AP-Ipsos poll taken in October said they approved of the way Bush was handling Iraq. Just over half of the public now say the Iraq war was a mistake. Clark agreed, but added: "Staying the course is not a strategy, it is just a slogan. ... We have a long way to go before victory, or at least some measure of success, is assured."
Well that's just a lot of great news about Iraq. One might say that we know that [the claim by Rob Hubbard] is inaccurate as it relates to their record. Perhaps someone from KSTP could tell us which of these other KSTP stories include the "good news" that they are so apt to report.
Three blasts kill 70 in Iraqi Shiite town
At least six killed in Iraq explosions
Five U.S. troops killed in Iraq
Two marines killed in Iraq
Coordinated explosions rock Iraq
List of those with Minnesota ties killed in Iraq
Two suicide bombers kill 27 in Iraq
Guard, Reserve suffer higher Iraq casualties
Wide range of estimates of civilian deaths
Another wave of violence hits Iraq
Blast at Baghdad restaurant kills 42
Two soldiers die in Iraq attacks
Violence mounts in Iraq
Violence mounts in Iraq
Violence escalates in Iraq
U.S. losing coalition members in Iraq
Four U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq; Five soldiers charged with kicking, punching detainees
Iraq issues warrants for former U.S. backed officials
Two Germans abducted in Iraq
Kidnappers threaten to kill hostages
U.S. death toll in Iraq passes 1,900
Car bomb kills four in Iraq
Sunnis urged to vote against constitution
Six U.S. troops killed in Iraq
Minnesota's Iraq deaths
Violence sweeps Iraq
Violence continues in Iraq
Suicide bomber blows himself up inside Shiite mosque in Iraq
Scores killed in mosque attack in Iraq
Iraq violence increases after quiet period
Iraqi lamakers compromise on constitution as widespread violence continues
U.S. suffers 2,000th death in Iraq
Car bombs kill 43 in Iraq
Five more service members killed in Iraq
American soldier killed in Iraq
Attackers kill four policemen in Iraq; Second anniversary of U.S.-led invasion
Two marines killed in chopper crash
MN Soldier killed in Iraq
US: '13 soldiers killed since Sunday'
Car bombs kill at least 25 in Iraq
Iraqis killed in insurgent attacks
Zawahri: U.S. withdrawal a 'victory of Islam'
Suicide bombers kill 33 in Iraq
U.S. closing in on 2,000 death in Iraq
