Back in 2006, Harris Interactive released poll results that indicate the military is the most trusted institution in America, with 47% saying they have a "great deal" of confidence in the military.
Coming in at the bottom? Law firms, Congress, organized labor, major corporations and...the press, which garnered a whopping 12% confidence rate.
This all makes sense when we read blog posts by reporters like Bobby Calvan from the Sacramento Bee, who is currently stationed in the Green Zone in Iraq. Blogger Doc Weasel preserved the post for posterity as Calvan ended up deleting the whole embarrassing thing (h/t Hot Air). Apparently, Calvan tried to re-enter the Green Zone after covering a press conference, but didn't have the required two forms of photo ID at the check point, and the soldier on duty was leery about letting Calvan back in. As a result of the soldier doing his job properly, Calvan got snitty. Here's a snippet:
With nothing to lose I decided to get pushy.
I asked him how he could not possibly know that Knight Ridder was one of the country’s largest newspaper chains. I told him that we’re bigger than the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times.
“I’m from Atlanta. I only know the Journal,” he said.
“I thought you said you also knew the Miami Herald,” I retorted.
“We’re bigger than the Journal,” I replied. “You never heard of Knight Ridder?”
He didn’t want to be embarrassed. He already looked irritated. He asked me if I knew the number of the military’s media office.
How silly of the soldier not to know of the now-defunct Knight-Ridder newspaper empire, much less McClatchy. I suppose he was too busy worrying about possible suicide bombers trying to get past him. But that's obviously not much excuse in the eyes of Calvan.
You simply must read the entire blog post to appreciate the arrogance of Calvan toward a man whose life is on the line each and every day trying to protect the lives of his comrades and civilians. And be sure to read the lengthy comments section. Not once have I ever seen such a long comment thread where everyone is in agreement about the topic at hand.
The media wonders why they are not trusted. This is a prime example: Why would we trust someone to write an impartial report about the war in Iraq and our military's handling of it when reporters like this show their disdain for the very men who will protect them no matter what?
