Since Bush made his pitch to the UN in early September, the Grand Rapids-based news media has been doing 2 things; providing almost exclusively the Bush administration's point of view and giving a limited anti-war perspective.
In the aftermath of the 9/11 anniversary observances the Bush camp has promoted a plan to invade Iraq. The local news has given us sound-bites from Cheney, Rumsfeld, Condelezza Rice, Powell and Dubya. The "reasons" being put forth have been weak or fallacious, yet the media seems to either be oblivious to the validity of these assertions or unwilling to question them.
First, Iraq is in violation of UN resolutions. While this is true, they have only been in violation of minor components of what has been imposed upon them since 1991. If the US wants to go after countries that are currently in violation of resolutions why not go after Turkey, Israel or a whole litany of countries that have ignored the United Nations? http://www.foreignpolicy-infocus.org/commentary/2002/0210unres.html
Second, there is the claim of Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction. Several former UN weapons inspectors have said this is a bogus claim and no credible evidence has been presented. http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=2410
Third, when talking about UN weapons inspectors being "allowed " back in local reporters continue to perpetuate the myth that "weapons inspectors were forced out 4 years ago." (Tom Van Howe - TV8) The rest of the world knows that the weapons inspectors were pulled out fearing their own safety just as the Clinton administration began Operation Desert Fox, a 1998 US bombing campaign. http://www.foreignpolicy-infocus.org/papers/iraq2.html
Fourth, that Iraq is firing on US planes in the no-fly zone. Iraq has been firing on US planes, because the US has engaged periodic bombing of Iraq since 1991, roughly 30 times in the past month alone. http://www.zmag.org/CrisesCurEvts/Iraq/fiskiraq.htm
Besides these glaring points of misinformation, the local news has also given limited time to the growing anti-war voices in West Michigan. There has been some coverage of local demonstrations/vigils on colleges and in front of the Federal building, but these stories have been short and have rarely included reasons for dissent. Just to put this into perspective WOOD TV8 ran a piece with a local Gulf War veteran that was longer than all anti-war stories on all three stations combined from Sept. 23 - Oct. 4. There have been educational and lobbying activities organized by numerous groups that have received virtually no coverage despite send media releases and making direct calls to newsrooms.
We urge readers to contact the local news agencies and demand that they run more stories on the growing local, national and international opposition to war and stories that do not perpetuate myths about US policy towards Iraq.
Contact:
GR Press Local News Desk 222-5455 or send letter to pulse@grpress.com
WOOD TV 8 News Director Patti McGettigan 456-8888 or patti.mcgettigan@lintv.com
WZZM 13 News Director Cheryl Grant 559-1315 or cgrant@wzzm.gannett.com.
WXMI FOX 17 News Dir. Tim Dye 364-8722
