Media Midgets

J. Kevin Tumlinson

I’m not exactly a hard man to please. A good meal. A nice, cool day. Something interesting to read in the john. Yep, I’d say I’m a fairly easy going guy. But there are certain things that will get me riled up in an instant. Insurance is one. Taxes. And those radio spots for some loan specialist company that have a woman referring to “refinancing her home loan” as a “refi.”

And then there’s the media.

Now I realize that I’m being critical of something that I myself am a part of. After all, I’ve written for newspapers and magazines, I’ve produced television and radio programming – I’m part of the machine! Maybe that qualifies me to judge the actions of the media itself. I’m on the inside, as it were. Then again, what I do is fairly straightforward. I’m not in the business of deceiving people or sensationalizing for the sake of ratings or higher readership. My column is an opinion column – you can take it or leave it. The programming I’ve produced is unbiased and open minded (there’s that sliver of entertainment, too). The product reviews I’ve written have little impact on someone’s life beyond helping them pick which printer to buy for their office or which software does the best job of burning MP3s.

On the other hand, there are the “Media Giants.” CNN, Fox, CBS, ABC, NBC – these are the networks that shape our perception of the world. They are responsible for how we perceive current events and for educating us about the events of the world at large, beyond our own nation. We have given them a trust, a solemn duty to perform. And yet, over and over we see that trust broken and shattered, the solemnity soiled and rendered moot. And we keep coming back for more.

The recent events with Dan Rather and CBS are still fresh in our minds, but they remind many people of an event that took place in 1998. This time, it was CNN – venerable news giant and trusted information source – that deceived the public with an earth shaking story.

CNN had partnered with Time magazine to form “NewsStand,” a rival to the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes.” The program, Co-hosted by Bernard Shaw and Jeff Greenfield, had generated some buzz in the viewing public. Especially in light of its big promise – a leading story that was sure to shake up the nation and cause a few heads to roll.

“The Valley of Death” was the title of an exposé on Operation Tailwind – a special forces mission in which American soldiers went “over the fence” into Laos as a diversion tactic for a CIA team inserted miles away. “ Valley of Death” claimed that the mission was really about killing U.S. defectors and non-combatants through the use of saren nerve gas. If the story were true, it meant that the U.S. had violated the Geneva Convention – and that all of the soldiers participating were war criminals.

The story had the desired impact. It sent shockwaves through the country and the world. An investigation was begun to determine the facts of the story. April Oliver, one of the producers of the piece, stood firm in her assertion that everything reported was “fact.”

But the investigation proved otherwise. As it turned out, at least two of the people interviewed as participants in the mission hadn’t been anywhere near Laos when the operation took place. One of the men hadn’t even been in Special Forces – he’d been a supply clerk on leave in Hawaii at the time. Also, there were no records indicating that saren had even been used, and the obvious evidence that not one American soldier died on the mission (highly unlikely if they were exposed to a deadly nerve agent) seemed to be a nail in the coffin of the story.

Other “facts” about the story began to break down as well. But Oliver and her co-producer Jack Smith, stuck to their story despite a retraction by CNN and being fired by the media giant.

The impact of this story, even after the retraction, is still felt to this day. It was cited by members of the U.N. when President Bush asked for U.N. support for our efforts in Iraq. And it still colors the perceptions of foreign powers in their dealings and policies with the U.S. This story, even though retracted, has reshaped the world.

And it was completely false.

It shows just how powerful the media can be. And, if they are irresponsible with what they report, how damaging.

I’m not the biggest fan of Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, but I’m coming around. He made appearances on 60 Minutes and CNN’s Crossfire and spoke out about how the media is hurting this country. “Stop hurting America,” he says to Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala during his appearance on Crossfire. Carlson, taken aback by the comedian’s attitude, was upset that Stewart wasn’t being funny. To which Stewart replied, “I won’t be your monkey.”

I could have kissed him. He’s a Democrat, he would have understood. At any rate, I’m going to have to start calling myself a Jon Stewart fan.

I’d like to see more of that sort of “calling to task” for the media. Stop hurting us! Stop using the ol’ “if it bleeds it leads” approach and start telling us what’s really happening out there. You have a huge responsibility… don’t screw with it. Just do it. It’s not about ratings or money, it’s about taking responsibility for the information you’re spreading around.

I’m a humble columnist – I may have little influence. But I’ll use what I have responsibly. All I ask of you – CNN, Time, CBS, ABC, whoever – is that you do the same. I’m asking as (sort of) one of your own and as a member of the public at large that depends on you for the facts. We’re all just tired of being lied to and manipulated. Do your job.

J. Kevin Tumlinson is the Publisher and Editor for ViewOnline Magazine at www.viewonline.com. He is a Houston Baptist University graduate with degrees in English and Communications. You can reach him by e-mail at kevin@viewonline.com. He thinks Tucker Carlson should be approached by “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” If it applies...