War Coverage: Gratuitous or Necessary?

[Luke]

Problem with the news channels and news coverage in the UK is that all their resources are being used in the Gulf - they are completely 24/7 War, is there any other news actually happening in the world ?

I'm thinking people could get away with a lot of stuff at this time - celebrities 'coming out', people robbing banks without the CCTV getting onto TV, goverment putting away innocent people. You could bury any news right now !

 

[frogboy4]

Originally posted by CraigD
Personally I think Michael Moore should be the American president. The man is Batman. Only fat.

Gotta love Bowling for Columbine.


Craig

Not in a million years would that happen. It's like voting Yahoo Serious for political office in Australia. Nominate Moore for your own country. Eeek! LOL!

 

[sidcrowe]

As predicted, Michael Moore wins and feeds a little truth through American television.

Maybe I'll go watch NBC's coverage of what is going on...of course, it's owned by General Electric...who builds parts for the American military.

Here are a few kudos for Moore's film, the Oscar winner for best documentary. I didn't know Roger Ebert and so many others were extremists:

From www.bowlingforcolumbine.com

"Bowling for Columbine" is riveting and scary, and its vision of a society racked by fear, riven by inequality and armed to the teeth is neither comforting nor easily wished away.
--A. O. Scott, The New York Times

"Screamingly funny one moment and unexpectedly moving the next."
--New York Post

"Thought-provoking, terrifying and absurdly hilarious."
--Craig Outhier, Orange Country

A "volcanically funny and seriously scary look at America's obsession with guns [that] is meant to shake us up good. And it does."
-- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

"Brilliant... Daring... Michael Moore Delivers a masterful documentary that one minute makes you laugh out loud, and then shocks you the next with a frankness that cuts to the core."
-- Steve Oldfield, FOX-TV

"Provocative... When Moore turns his caustic wit on America‚s trigger-happy culture, the result is by turns absurd and chilling"
-- Joelle Diderich, Reuters

"Rollicking, incendiary!"
-- Daily Variety

"Terrific... A rambunctious, disturbing, and often hilarious autopsy of American gun culture. Columbine has loads of entertainment value."
-- Richard Corliss, Time

"Flat-out Brilliant!"
-- Hollywood Reporter

"Bowling For Columbine is vintage Michael Moore. It's on my top 5 film list for the year. Moore's best film to date."
-- Tony Toscano/Talking Pictures (Salt Lake City)

"Michael Moore has done it again, the years most powerful documentary. An eye opener."
-- Jim Ferguson/KMSB-TV (Fox-Tucson)

"If you see one film this year, make it Bowling for Columbine. Miss it and you'll regret it.... Hands down one of the best films of the year.... Packed full of emotion, truth and a hard cutting edge of reality... Michael Moore get ready to receive your Oscar!"
-- Jeffrey K. Howard/The Movie Guys ABC News (Las Vegas)

"If you like your entertainment shaken and not stirred, then this powderkeg of guerilla filmmaking will leave you debating for days afterwards. Hilarious, frightening and in-your-face and utterly shocking all at once, Michael Moore, in his own inimitable style, shows that he's America's most unique filmmaker. I absolutely loved it - my favorite film this year. Bravo!"
-- Sam Hallenbeck NBC-TV "Daytime" Show / 100.7FM (Tampa)

"Michael Moore's Best Yet! The camera is mightier than the gun!"
-- Josephine Cheng/King-TV NBC (Seattle)

"Everyone must see this film. It is simultaneously moving, disturbing & hilarious. Don't miss it."
-- Mark S. Allen/KMAX-TV (UPN- Sacramento)

"A Heartfelt, funny, tragic and surprising look at violence in America"
-- Margaret McGurk, The Cincinatti Enquirer

"An epic documentary that will have you flinching even as you're doubled over from laughter."
-- Glenn Lovell, San Jose Mercury News

"Scathing and fitfully satiric!"
-- Baltimore Sun

"It may be one of the most effective political/polemic films ever."
-- Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

"As funny and abrasive as his hit debut Roger & Me, and much more sorrowful."
-- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

 

[frogboy4]

Originally posted by radionate
Sometimes you scare me with your conserativism dear boy.

LOL! Actually I have equal contempt for both political parties. If either of them were worth much the country would be in better shape. I'm a proud moderate. Heck, that's the only thing I do in moderation.

 

[sidcrowe]

Jeez, like I was the only one to ever go off topic

Anyway you're still right, I wiped the post. It didn't belong here. Sorry

 

[frogboy4]

Okay, this thread is quickly deteriorating to politics. My original post stated that this was about war coverage, not war views. Please put that stuff on the other thread. I kind of started doing that too.

 

[Drtooth]

I gotta say, I really really agreed with what Michael Moore said... but besides that..

The problem with the Media is that everything turns into a Circus. I mean, when Elizabeth Smart was recovered, they preemtied stuff for it. I mean, I feel for the Family and all, and I'm glad the little one is safe back home, but really... too much is too much. What would they do if they didn't find her?

Plus, the scairest thing is when they preempt Saturday moring cartoons for it. It scares little kids even more. I was glad the The Fox Box wasn't preemptied so I could escape the harsh reality into teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Back to the future (I would so be p**sed if they preemptied the triumphant return of BTF TAS..

But I mean, somehow, we need to escape the misery of others. I say that we HAD to have the Oscars last night. It'll take our mind off the bloodshed and politics of two dunderheads in two different countries!

 

[MuppetsRule]

The thing that the media doesn't understand is that they think that by embedding their reporters in with the troops and their constant updates that they will somehow bring home the horrors of war to the public (and that is an important role). But by having so much coverage it is actually having the opposite effect, it is desensitizing the public.

 

[frogboy4]

Exactly. Some news sources have actually shown the faces of US POWs. Not only is it illegal, but it is gratutous. Just goes to show that the media only cares about the advertising dollars.

 

[Super Scooter]

Yeah, that's something I really don't like. The media takes advantage of situations like this. I mean, like you said, how can you show a POW? I didn't think you could.

The whole thing's upsetting.