When the Going Gets Tough

The world is not an easy place for news folk. Oh, it's easy enough for folks like Fox who have a clear world view they can impose on any story. And for straight shooters like the Christian Science Monitor who can at least struggle toward objectivity.

No, we're thinking about the news services like UPI (formerly United Press International, before we entered the Era of the Acronym) and AP (formerly Associated Press, see above).

Besides having their own reporters these outfits pickup stories from other sources and distribute them to their subscribers. This, however, may lead to some kind of professional schizophrenia on days like today when UPI is carrying a story from the LA Times bearing the headline Baghdad Violent Death Toll Falling which reports a "sharp drop" in the number of violent deaths in Iraq's capital after last month's record 1800.

While the "sharp drop" is not quantified and the good news is qualified by the observation that there is still no plan to disarm the Shia militias responsible for most Sunni deaths, the lead and headline stand. Fine.

On the same day, however, the UPI editors feel compelled to carry a story from CNN with the headline Violence Sweeps Iraq, Undermining Politics. Also datelined Baghdad, this one is the more familiar recital of bomb blasts, death and fatuous utterances by politicians, e.g., the Brit Defense Minister Des Browne saying "each time I come I see more progress".

Is the LA Times story the first harbinger of real change in the security situation in Iraq or one of the last gasps of the mindless support for Bush's war policies from the media ? Is the CNN story evidence of liberal bias, grimly hanging on to bad news even when evidence of change appears or simply realistic reporting of the continuing decline of matters Iraqi ?

What is a UPI editor to do ? We, of course, would suggest that she remain calm and

StayNaked
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