What, if any, is your war news source?

[Lynda-WA]

Today I was talking to my sister in another state. She was commenting on how she gets more up to date news from an FM rock and roll radio station then any other source. The morning show personality surfs the net and gets news reports from all over and reports them. He's been egging on all of the other news sources about how he's the first to report something to central Wisconsin. I thought it was sad that an FM Rock and Roll music station is more current then anything else (except cable) in the area. She was upset because so many things weren't being reported by the local media. Things such as the rescue of Jessica Lynch (I'd call that one a biggie!). And when they did finally make it, many details were left out. For example, no mention was made of any injuries to Jessica Lynch making it sound like she was well taken care of.

So, do you pay attention to news about the war? If so, what type of media is it? Local TV, Cable TV, FM radio, AM radio, local nespapers, or internet? If a TV station - which network?

[Diane]

CNN News... The internet and the newspaper.

Diane...

[RCT]

CNN for me too, that way I can get updated at anytime during the day.....

[KarlaB]

Mainly CNN and local news (various stations). A little via the internet and dh & my family - when we get together or talk on the phone we sometimes talk about the latest developments.

[Amy]

MSNBC for the internet and whatever one dh turns on for the t.v. Sometimes Fox news.

[AnnW]

NBC or Fox

[littlesista06]

NBC

[lindaM]

I watch FOX news and listen to the two local talk radio stations.

[JAK]

Fox news and CNN. I also skim the newspaper.

[MK]

MSNBC and nothing else.

[Lynda-WA]

My TV sources are Fox news and MSNBC - only. I'm a huge news buff, watching or listening almost constantly. I found these two the best. And that was BEFORE I was told by reliable sources that the troops watch in this order 1. Fox, 2. MSNBC, 3 CNN, 4 CBS, 5 ABC. If I hadn't already settled on these two I would have switched after hearing that.

I also listen to one of the talk radio stations. I use the internet for searches on things I'm not really clear about. When I first heard about a drone, all I could think was Star Wars! I don't bother with the paper anymore. The ones locally are a waste of time.

[Mickey]

I try to get info and news from many different sources and then wade through the propaganda and come to my own conclusions about it.

On the Internet, I read headline and breaking stories via yahoo (Reuters and AP) and I also read BBC news headlines. I watch NBC news and BBC World news on PBS (don't have cable). I also listen to a lot of A.M. talk radio...but it's really extreme, imo--they seem to have views and opinions that are WAY to the right and think that anyone who doesn't share those views is WAY to the left (i.e., Democrats=extreme, tree-hugging, anti-American liberals) and most people I know are much closer to the center.

I also try to watch Frontline, Meet the Press, Chris Matthews and 60 Minutes. I found Andy Rooney (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/04/60minutes/rooney/main547773.shtml) especially interesting this week.

[Lynda-WA]

Originally posted by Mickey
I also listen to a lot of A.M. talk radio...but it's really extreme,

Just curious - what's your definition of extreme?

To me - extreme is what deviates from the norm. In the US we have two main norms. Liberal and Conservative. There isn't a single norm for the whole US with people deviating from that single norm. For example, on abortion there are two main groups not a center point that most believe with others deviating from that. You either do believe in it (with variations) or you don't (with variations from that norm).

So if an extremist is one who deviates from the norm, and norm is established by the people, how can you call Limbaugh an extremist when he has 20 million listeners? To put that number in perspective, he's got nearly as many listeners as watched American Idol. More then watched CSI. In fact I didn't see any news person/show that drew a larger audience. I may have missed one or two but clearly he is one of the most popular political media figures. And popularity establishes the norms. His point of view may be vastly different from your own but obviously it isn't to a huge number of people. He wouldn't be on the air for 15 years and be the number one talk show host if he wasn't popular. No he isn't the norm for a liberal but it can be argued that he expresses the opinions of the normal conservative. And keep in mind that liberals and conservatives are fairly evenly split.

One other point, Limbaugh doesn't pretend to be unbiased. He outright says he is a conservative talk show host. On the other hand, most TV reporters say they are giving *fair and balanced news*. Then they turn around and give a speech at a Democratic fund raiser. Or an interview on Arab TV where they distinctly say they are biased. I'd prefer someone outright say what their political beliefs are then listen to someone that pretends their personal opinion isn't at play.

What I like about Talk radio is that its different. A different perspective from TV. For example, the shooting of the journalists filming a sniper attack on a tank. The TV reports were full of reports about how the tank shot the journalist while the journalists were at their hotel. The military should have known that was where the journalists were. The military used too large of a gun etc etc. It didn't matter which network or from which country. It all had a similar thread. The afternoon talk radio show host I listen to is in the army. He pointed out that this type of camera on a tripod will look like a kind of Soviet gun from 1,900 meters. He literally talked you through the footage. *The shots are fired. They sound like a ping when they hit the tank but you can't tell where they are coming from. The US soldier looks around for where the sniper fire is coming from. He sees telescopic equipment on a tripod that looks like a sniper. They can't use smaller ammo because of the distance. He shoots once. The sniper shots stop. He doesn't shoot again.* Other radio callers questioned whether the journalists ever informed the coalition forces that they changed hotels a week ago. Some said that if we the viewers know the journalist were there then so should the military whether they were told or not. Others point out that those military forces in Bagdahd aren't watching TV so how should they know? A cab driver calls in and says he couldn't identify every building from all angles in the city he drives in. Why would someone new to Bagdahd be able to identify a hotel from the side?

On radio the callers in are from all walks of life. They aren't just a reporter saying his piece or that same reporter asking a guest a question. You wind up with a cab driver with his fresh insight. An Army tank driver talking about living in the tank. A heavy equipment driver saying he knows you can't see over the top of the dozer that killed an area *human shield* since he operates that very model. So many types of people that are never interviewed on TV.

[Mickey]

Regarding extreme--I meant what I typed. I know no one in my real life world who believes as extreme as the talk show hosts I've listened to--either to the right or left. There ARE different sides, just not as extreme as they portray. As a democrat, I would NEVER lay in the middle of the road in protest of the war. I'm NOT for increasing taxes and more government spending and I wouldn't hug a tree to save it from oil drilling. It really cracks me up when I hear democrats described on those shows--we're all Sean Penns and Susan Sarandons (they're both nuts, imo). Most democrats I know are nothing like that. Much closer to center, but still to the left. And I see Limbaugh is the Sean Penn of the republican party. Most republicans I know aren't anything like the talk show radio hosts I've listened to--some of them come out with statements that they probably have heard on the radio shows (like, "I voted Republican because I don't want the government to take my guns!"), but they really can't argue those points very well...it's more just repeating bits and pieces of what they hear instead of listening to different sources and coming to their own conclusions.

Regarding how many listeners...I listen to Rush Limbaugh (not every day because he's a pompous ass), and I listen to Bill O'Reilly and Rusty Humphreys (pretty much every day) and Michael Savage and Mike Reagan--and so do my friends who are democrats. But that doesn't mean we AGREE with them. I listen to try to figure them out and see their points. No luck so far, but I'll keep trying.

So those millions of listeners include democrats and centrists as well as republicans (but they're not all necessarily that far to the right).

Bill O'Reilly considers him a centrist, but he's more like most republicans I know. Not extreme, but definitely to the right of center.

I know that many t.v. news reports are biased, too. That's why I listen to many sources and make educated decisions about individual topics--I don't believe a particular way about something because someone told me to or because it's in line with the party I happened to be registered under.

K...I'm getting WAY too long-winded, so I'll leave it at that.