Seething Frustration

[yeahwho]

All Ears for Tom Cruise, All Eyes on Brad Pitt

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: July 26, 2005
Some of us in the news media have been hounding President Bush for his shameful passivity in the face of genocide in Darfur.

More than two years have passed since the beginning of what Mr. Bush acknowledges is the first genocide of the 21st century, yet Mr. Bush barely manages to get the word "Darfur" out of his mouth. Still, it seems hypocritical of me to rage about Mr. Bush's negligence, when my own beloved institution - the American media - has been at least as passive as Mr. Bush.

Condi Rice finally showed up in Darfur a few days ago, and she went out of her way to talk to rape victims and spotlight the sexual violence used to terrorize civilians. Most American television networks and cable programs haven't done that much.

Even the coverage of Ms. Rice's trip underscored our self-absorption. The manhandling of journalists accompanying Ms. Rice got more coverage than any massacre in Darfur has.

This is a column I don't want to write - we in the media business have so many critics already that I hardly need to pipe in as well. But after more than a year of seething frustration, I feel I have to.

Like many others, I drifted toward journalism partly because it seemed an opportunity to do some good. (O.K., O.K.: it was also a blast, impressed girls and offered the glory of the byline.) But to sustain the idealism in journalism - and to rebut the widespread perception that journalists are just irresponsible gossips - we need to show more interest in the first genocide of the 21st century than in the "runaway bride."

I'm outraged that one of my Times colleagues, Judith Miller, is in jail for protecting her sources. But if we journalists are to demand a legal privilege to protect our sources, we need to show that we serve the public good - which means covering genocide as seriously as we cover, say, Tom Cruise. In some ways, we've gone downhill: the American news media aren't even covering the Darfur genocide as well as we covered the Armenian genocide in 1915.

Serious newspapers have done the best job of covering Darfur, and I take my hat off to Emily Wax of The Washington Post and to several colleagues at The Times for their reporting. Time magazine gets credit for putting Darfur on its cover - but the newsweeklies should be embarrassed that better magazine coverage of Darfur has often been in Christianity Today.

The real failure has been television's. According to monitoring by the Tyndall Report, ABC News had a total of 18 minutes of the Darfur genocide in its nightly newscasts all last year - and that turns out to be a credit to Peter Jennings. NBC had only 5 minutes of coverage all last year, and CBS only 3 minutes - about a minute of coverage for every 100,000 deaths. In contrast, Martha Stewart received 130 minutes of coverage by the three networks.

Incredibly, more than two years into the genocide, NBC, aside from covering official trips, has still not bothered to send one of its own correspondents into Darfur for independent reporting.

"Generally speaking, it's been a total vacuum," said John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group, speaking of television coverage. "I blame policy makers for not making better policy, but it sure would be easier if we had more media coverage."

When I've asked television correspondents about this lapse, they've noted that visas to Sudan are difficult to get and that reporting in Darfur is expensive and dangerous. True, but TV crews could at least interview Darfur refugees in nearby Chad. After all, Diane Sawyer traveled to Africa this year - to interview Brad Pitt, underscoring the point that the networks are willing to devote resources to cover the African stories that they consider more important than genocide.

If only Michael Jackson's trial had been held in Darfur. Last month, CNN, Fox News, NBC, MSNBC, ABC and CBS collectively ran 55 times as many stories about Michael Jackson as they ran about genocide in Darfur.

The BBC has shown that outstanding television coverage of Darfur is possible. And, incredibly, mtvU (the MTV channel aimed at universities) has covered Darfur more seriously than any network or cable station. When MTV dispatches a crew to cover genocide and NBC doesn't, then we in journalism need to hang our heads.

So while we have every right to criticize Mr. Bush for his passivity, I hope that he criticizes us back. We've behaved as disgracefully as he has.

[D_Raay]

What is the only explanation behind this? "Liberal" media my ass.

Ratings they'll tell you, but is that their job? Seems to me reporting the news, the serious news, is their job despite ratings.

This media has been in someone's pocket for a while, be it George Bush and his cronies or someone even higher than they.

[STANKY808]

What is the only explanation behind this? "Liberal" media my ass.

Ratings they'll tell you, but is that their job? Seems to me reporting the news, the serious news, is their job despite ratings.

This media has been in someone's pocket for a while, be it George Bush and his cronies or someone even higher than they.

Agreed.

But on a side note, how much blow would it take to be higher than Bush?

[QueenAdrock]

I took a human rights seminar last semester, and it really made me upset with America. The wars we choose, the ones we ignore...it's really lopsided. I had to go through so many horrible pictures for that class, I'll never be able to get some of those images out of my head.

We really need to do something for Darfur. Maybe we should start a rumor that the leader of the resistance has WMD's and is going to kill Bush. Maybe he'll then send help to those having their children raped in front of them in a pool of blood.

[ericg]

The truth couldn't get any more obvious. Who needs it reported more? You wouldn't be worth your salt if you did. This ain't semantics. When a government and it's social (financial) elite are as corrupt as they are now, who can make things right?

Well just for starters, you obviously have to look to the people with the wherewithal (money) just for practicality's sake. Try and stay with me here. Let's just cut to the chase, shall we.

I could name a million names. You know?!!!!! Is it that these people don't know what or how to do it? No. That's not it. The trick is how to unite and inspire them to care enough to actually take the proper initiatives. It may sound.... but I have to say it............ 'cause it ain't been done. Look again and keep looking until you unequivocally get that.

So who's foolin' who? Well that's a deeper question than I want to go into now.
Life's become like a coma that I'm awake for.
A Groundhog day from hell where instead of people taking the correct initiatives that everyone knows about..., each day the ONLY real "values" this small world and it's people alike have are murdered and pillaged in capacities and in ways I can't even get into now. I feel I've experienced how great life can be in the best sense of the word... human capability consumated etc... only to see it destroyed time and time again. Like I went far then got yanked back into the mainstream with fools who can't, won't or don't get anything right, ever.

Now I'm left with what? Maynard singing "I know the pieces fit cause I watched them fall away..."
The Beastie Boys coming out with truth moderately well put (hammered home) yet absent of something really on the whole... like they got busy calling motherfuckers out like no one else can but nothing after the fact... or really for it? I really expect the world from (them) at this point. Thanks for the justified/ bonafide slaughter... but it takes more than time to really cut it and build. You'd know what I mean if you were me. What is that? Crafty record sales in any case? Stand up people. Dave Matthews says it's out of his hands? Weak play on words, like what is he really good for except music. I swear that's an oxymoron (Like if you can find it in you to become... where are you everyday with your legion of people?) If all the people are doing their part but nothing's getting done, especially from those who have been fortunate and fought hard in forming themselves properly... perfecting their nobility in/ for/ by life so to speak and just by being can express it theeeeeee best ie.. artists... who prove, expound and consumate the truth the best, and actors who's main attraction is being on the right side... why is the wrong side winning in such great strides? There's people that I know should know better... than.............................................. .................... It's like the Lion King made a truce with his uncle and the hyennas and it's all going terribly wrong. The solution is out there. Who's got the balls and a greater sense of reality?

I've already said enough here. Old news...

PS I don't care if I just about lost you there at the end or anywhere in between, I haven't gotten anything really up to date valid from most if not all the people here anyway. It's a huge disappointment for certain expectations in/of life to fall so damn short. Huge.

[D_Raay]

The truth couldn't get any more obvious. Who needs it reported more? You wouldn't be worth your salt if you did. This ain't semantics. When a government and it's social (financial) elite are as corrupt as they are now, who can make things right?

Well just for starters, you obviously have to look to the people with the wherewithal (money) just for practicality's sake. Try and stay with me here. Let's just cut to the chase, shall we.

I could name a million names. You know?!!!!! Is it that these people don't know what or how to do it? No. That's not it. The trick is how to unite and inspire them to care enough to actually take the proper initiatives. It may sound.... but I have to say it............ 'cause it ain't been done. Look again and keep looking until you unequivocally get that.

So who's foolin' who? Well that's a deeper question than I want to go into now.
Life's become like a coma that I'm awake for.
A Groundhog day from hell where instead of people taking the correct initiatives that everyone knows about..., each day the ONLY real "values" this small world and it's people alike have are murdered and pillaged in capacities and in ways I can't even get into now. I feel I've experienced how great life can be in the best sense of the word... human capability consumated etc... only to see it destroyed time and time again. Like I went far then got yanked back into the mainstream with fools who can't, won't or don't get anything right, ever.

Now I'm left with what? Maynard singing "I know the pieces fit cause I watched them fall away..."
The Beastie Boys coming out with truth moderately well put (hammered home) yet absent of something really on the whole... like they got busy calling motherfuckers out like no one else can but nothing after the fact... or really for it? I really expect the world from (them) at this point. Thanks for the justified/ bonafide slaughter... but it takes more than time to really cut it and build. You'd know what I mean if you were me. What is that? Crafty record sales in any case? Stand up people. Dave Matthews says it's out of his hands? Weak play on words, like what is he really good for except music. I swear that's an oxymoron (Like if you can find it in you to become... where are you everyday with your legion of people?) If all the people are doing their part but nothing's getting done, especially from those who have been fortunate and fought hard in forming themselves properly... perfecting their nobility in/ for/ by life so to speak and just by being can express it theeeeeee best ie.. artists... who prove, expound and consumate the truth the best, and actors who's main attraction is being on the right side... why is the wrong side winning in such great strides? There's people that I know should know better... than.............................................. .................... It's like the Lion King made a truce with his uncle and the hyennas and it's all going terribly wrong. The solution is out there. Who's got the balls and a greater sense of reality?

I've already said enough here. Old news...

PS I don't care if I just about lost you there at the end or anywhere in between, I haven't gotten anything really up to date valid from most if not all the people here anyway. It's a huge disappointment for certain expectations in/of life to fall so damn short. Huge.

I am trying eric, I am sure we all are in our own way... It's a process brother it ain't gonna happen overnight.

[ericg]

No disrespect, but the Kentucky Colonel that was my stepfather couldn't give me more of a horseshit answer.
That attitude is a sure way to keep truth and justice at bay, if not terminal. It takes more than the slow constant struggle when corruption wins year in and year out in every way shape and form. In fact I'm sure they'd have it no other way. I'm glad you're trying, but you should know as well as I that that is not the right answer, private. :) It's perhaps more of a battle for most that is only won within themselves first..., but a small price to pay... for the fullfillment of character etc... The real process is in excercising that out right, which I have to admit is harder than ever these days without sufficient (just the right) wherewithal ie... encouragement, support, bearing, props etc... It takes a gamut of disciplines and a regimen of life...

How many nights would you say? 20,000? 40,000? Come on. The focus should be on doing everything necessary to halt the treasonous corruption in it's trax, and then in getting time back..., not taking (wasting) more of it within the very same corrupt beaurocratic "process" you seem to still put your money on. I got a better process which I've outlined more times than I care for you to admit. Damn you let gmsko validate his inch whipper comments. I might have walked out not giving much thought to your "appeasement" 15 years ago... I just know all too well now. Show the enemy some strengh in virtue, and he'll often loose right from the beginning. That's what we need these days. That's what is so lacking. Virtue at it's best..............

If what you said is all that's had to go on, then people are not prepared for the scale of trouble that is lurking beyond. And that means death of more timeless value's than people seem to know or are able to remember for the life of them, not to mention..........
Sometimes we think we're serious but we couldn't be farther away from it in our small worlds...

Anyway, I'm too tired for this now, I've been awake... too long.

PBS isn't big enough to be giving advise to the public about being more.

[yeahwho]

No disrespect,

Anyway, I'm too tired for this now, I've been awake... too long.

Come back when you fucking awaken up then, this isn't about being in a fucking coma, it's about genocide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide), recognizing (http://www.genocidewatch.org/eightstages.htm) it and then doing something as a group of human beings to stop it.

For some reason it doesn't fit in our current identakit.

Be a Witness (http://beawitness.org/splash/),

[ericg]

"It's him right" -Martin Short: Defective Whoopee Cushion :D

Yeahwho? You're regurgitating. I don't know how you missed the coma reference stating how it feels to be unable to do anything at scale...


... Not to mention my other 500 posts. Thanks for the link in any case. I know how Seattle can be... if it can't be done right from there, it can be maddening. Anyway, identakit. Who's place is that. This always falls in the same laps you know. It's not a mystery. I don't mean to diss but I'm not going to keep pointing shit out.

[ericg]

Where do you haaaail from there? I've just about lived all over that place. Stolen away on 55th and 3rd in Ballard, actually it was 56th I think, 2 places around the U District, and on Summit D.T. Oh and Greenlake too. Also a brief stay just S of DT where I forget the area's name off hand. I was up in the Aleutian Islands...

Anyhow...

[yeahwho]

Where do you haaaail from there? I've just about lived all over that place. Stolen away on 55th and 3rd in Ballard, actually it was 56th I think, 2 places around the U District, and on Summit D.T. Oh and Greenlake too. Also a brief stay just S of DT where I forget the area's name off hand. I was up in the Aleutian Islands...

Anyhow...

Grew up in Ballard, 56th and 3rd is right off Market head up the hill. I lived on 57th st as a kid. Hit Greenlake daily till I was 16 and had a car. Spent 2 years in Dutch Harbor during and right after High School (Ballard High of course). Hey we all shout out to you from the Land of Mossy Brains.

We're all still fucking nuts. Just had 2 Dicks cheeseburgers, fries and a vanilla shake, from the Wallingford drive-in.

[ericg]

You have to be nuts to mill about in Dicks relentless fucking line. The fries are good though, and you can't beat a shake. Oi, do you know if anything finally happened with Roxy's on the corner of Union and 1st? I think the staff finished up the fiscal year so well they decided to extend their snowboarding vacation indefinitely. That place was nostalgic. Oh well, that's how it goes. Especially in Seattle.

Seattle's almost too easy on the eyes. Like almost too rich to take in. I think that's why the place is a little eh eh 12 Monkey's crazy. I lived in the brown 3 story flat on top of the rock barrier wall drive way Boeing built for it's employees around the 30's. The architecture and interior design was really very efficient/ practical... And the view of the Olympics from Phinney Ridge is pretty outstanding... on a clear day. What a transient time...

I bet it's oh so lovely right about now. Oh Seattle. If I dreamt of Seattle I'd wake up with a hard on. But that's not hard.

You know a really good book is Ishmael written by Barbara Hambly.
A quirky little genius yet sham of a Sgt gave the book to me while on an ammo guarding detail at Ft. Drum in upstate NY, which I was actually very fortunate to get at the time... It's about Spock inadvertently going back in time to Seattle's beginnings. It's the best Star Trek novel I've encountered yet.