Media Accidentally Reports Fiction In Iraq

170 words.

QandO has an important observation about terrorist propaganda and the news media. A few days back there was a story about 20 beheaded men found near Baghdad. QandO reports that the MNF-I (Multi-National Forces in Iraq — that’s the good guys) investigated and found the story was completely false, yet several news outlets reported it anyway (including CNN, as you can see from the link).

Now I personally don’t think this is any kind of sinister plot by the traitorous liberal mainstream media to undermine the war effort, as some will undoubtedly claim (QandO hints at it) — I just think it’s plain old tabloid journalism and the ever-present race to be first to break a story, no matter what the cost in credibility (not that there is any cost anymore).

(Though I don’t think it’s a liberal media conspiracy, I do think that terrorists — and really anyone with half a brain — know full well that they can twist the sensationalist fervor of modern journalism to their advantage.)

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