Best part of the thread so far, if you ask me. And it relates to "press," so have at it, I say. Interesting in two ways, if you ask me. (1) The idea that people can be liberal because they're in the streets more often. I kind of believe this. It seems to be true that the higher the population density, the more liberal the voters, at least in the united states. There are always exceptions, but this seems pretty true. (2) The media bosses in general not being a liberal bunch. This is so obviously true that I don't know how this liberal media myth persists. Media owners want to make money, and they make it by getting people to like their product (be it papers, or web hits, or TV minutes of viewership), and they sell their product by hyping controversy, be it the presidential penis or deaths in Iraq. What is shocking and scary? That's what they need. Beyond that, if there is any bias at all, it will tend to be a bit conservative because: (a) media outlets don't win anything by turning consumers off, and (b) the owners are typically rich, as you point out, and they call the shots ultimately. Anyway, it's a fun topic. I used to do some media work before I ran screaming back to the laboratory.
From Newsweek's web Site: "The num_ber 130,000 counts the service men and women on the ground there. The num_bers 1,947 and 343 tally how many of them have been injured and have died in and out of combat. Here’s where it’s time to pause for a moment. Two numbers within that fatality figure are particularly alarm_ing: 14 and 12 represent the suicides and the possible suicides that have occurred among U.S. troops in Iraq. THE CONFIRMED SUICIDES alone represent a 31 percent jump over the number of self-inflicted military deaths that occur in an average year back home in garrisons—a number consistent with the general population. " http://www.msnbc.com/news/984828.asp?0cv=KB20
Sadly, add one more... ____________ NEWS RELEASE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- October 28, 2003 Release Number: 03-10-30C FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 82d ABN DIV SOLDIER DIES OF NON-HOSTILE GUNSHOT WOUND BAGHDAD, Iraq – An 82d Airborne Division soldier died of a non-hostile gunshot wound at a forward operating base near Fallujah at approximately 12:10 a.m. on October 28. The soldier’s name is being withheld pending next-of-kin notification. The incident is under investigation.
