The reporting is different, that's for sure. Today's press seems as interested in supporting this war as journalists were interested in questioning the wisdom of military involvement in Vietnam 20 years ago. And so newspapers across the country show that they're real Americans too and donate a page to Old Glory. Every newsroom seems to want to be seen as part of the hometown team. The CBS eye glows almost subliminally behind a graphic of an American soldier.
Local news shows wrap their promos in ribbons and flags.
Scott Armstrong, head of the Center for International Journalism at American University, said that news organizations are concerned that they'll be seen as insensitive to the safety of Americans in the Gulf if they question U.S. policy. But, it's not news media's place to coddle the community through its crisis. It can't be simplified into rooting for the hometown team. It's an extremely complex political, economic, and cultural situation that only gets more complicated by being ignored. U.S. news organizations can best show their patriotism by fulfilling rather than abandoning their traditional role of questioning official action.