Peter Arnett to State-Run Iraqi TV: American War Plan Has Failed
Fox News is beating this story into the ground. Now why would they do this? Hmmm, let me think, why would Fox News want to play up a story about a reporter for a competing cable news outlet? I know today has been a slow war news day, but I thought even FOX had limits to the crass level they would sink to. John Gibson, an anchor for FOX, let out pure commentary out in the 11:00 PM hour on Sunday, he basically called Arnett a traitor. I know that I am pissing in the wind when I complain about FOX, but I will do it anyway. FOX news followers, "FOX Fans" as the network calls them, worship the network as a religion. Any questioning of the "faith" makes you a heretic. If you can't face the fact that FOX News is biased towards a "conservative" viewpoint, then discussing anything with you would be pointless. Now, I can just hear the FOX fans bitching about CNN. Calling it "liberal" or communist or other blind labels placed on it. CNN is marketed to a centrist/moderate audience. That means to the middle of America, which is socially moderate and fiscally conservative. That means they are socially semi-tolerant, not religious fanatics while pro-free trade and follow the NYSE. Anyone who is not exactly what a FOX fan thinks is "normal" is considered "liberal". Middle America does not mean the Midwest, it generally means the urban and suburban population.

Of course I am exaggerating here, but FOX has gone overboard on the nationalistic fervor. Oliver Willis is being attacked by a whole slew of knee-jerk Jingoists for making a much tamer and more succinct rebuke of FOX. The ad hominem attacks against him are amazing. They are not surprising in this hyper-emotional war season, but still are disappointing.

WARREN Jer-ree! Springer grabs crowd's attention
Springer is still trying. The crowd in Youngstown would on the surface be just he kind of people.

Cincinnati's Drama Major
New York gets a taste of Cincinnati's outstanding music tradition. Paavo Jarvi is getting attention, which is well deserved.

Poynter Online - Media Map of Iraq
Good reference, but both of our lists were lacking. I added a couple of American outlets to my list, but they are missing all of the foreign journalists and a couple of freelancers. Here is my updated list.

Still in Baghdad (as reported)
NPR: Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
Peter Arnett - freelance for MSNBC and National Geographic. - Plans to stay throughout
ITN (International Television News ITV)
BBC: Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
Washington Post -Anthony Shadid & Rajiv Chandrase
AP - Hamza Hendawi
Reuters - Staff of 19
Sky News
Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
Christian Science Monitor - Scott Peterson
ZDF (Germany)
Al Jazeera
Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough
San Franscisco Chronical - Robert Collier
Los Angeles Times - John Daniszewski & Michael Slackman
Irish Times - Lara Marlowe
New York Times - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
Abu Dhabi TV
Lebanese Broadcasting Company
Richard Engel - Freelance for ABC (and BBC?)
Guardian - Suzanne Goldenberg
Nate Thayer - Freelance for Slate.com
The New Yorker - Jon Lee Anderson
Palm Beach Post - Larry Kaplow
Chicago Tribune - E.A. Torriero
and other various French, German, Japanese, Danish and Dutch media outlets.

Last Seen in Baghdad - Whereabouts Unknown
Latest News - WaPo reports they may have been detained by Iraq.
NY Newsday - Matthew McAllester & Moises Saman (Reported to be kicked out of Iraq.)
Molly Bingham - Freelance Photographer (worked for Al Gore) -(Reported to be kicked out of Iraq)

Not in Baghdad are NBC, ABC* (has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), Toronto Sun (kicked out), USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS, CNN (kicked out), Robert Valdec (freelance for Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbia outlets was kicked out).

Iraq Expels 2 Newsday Journalists; Whereabouts Unknown

Still in Baghdad (as reported)
NPR: Anne Garrels - Plans to stay throughout
Peter Arnett - freelance for MSNBC and National Geographic. - Plans to stay throughout
ITN
BBC: Total of 7 including 3 reporters - Rageh Omar -Plans to stay throughout
Washington Post -Anthony Shadid
AP - Hamza Hendawi
Reuters - Staff of 19
Sky News
Independent - Robert Fisk (what an ass)
Christian Science Monitor -Scott Peterson
ZDF (Germany)
Al Jazeera
Sydney Morning Herald/The Age - Paul McGeough
San Franscisco Chronical - Robert Collier
Los Angeles Times - John Daniszewski
Irish Times - Lara Marlowe
New York Times - John Burns and Photographer Tyler Hicks
Al-Arabiya (Dubai)
Abu Dhabi TV
Lebanese Broadcasting Company
Richard Engel - Free lance for ABC (and BBC?)
Guardian - Suzanne Goldenberg
NY Newsday - Matthew McAllester & Moises Saman (Reported to be kicked out of Iraq - Whereabouts Unknown.)
Nate Thayer - Freelance for Slate.com
Molly Bingham - Freelance Photographer (worked for Al Gore) -(Reported to be kicked out of Iraq - Whereabouts Unknown.)
and other various French, German, Japanese and Dutch media outlets.


Not in Baghdad are NBC, ABC*(has free lancer in Baghdad), CBC Radio, FOX News (kicked out), China's official Xinhua news agency, Boston Globe (kicked out), Toronto Sun (kicked out),USA Today, Daily Telegraph, London Times, Newsweek (at least ordered to leave by Bosses), US News & World Report, Time, Wall Street Journal, CBS, CNN (kicked out).

Jay Love is Stupid
That sounds petty, but I don't know how else to characterize him for his latest screw up. On his radio program today, Jay wondered why no US news outlet was reporting a story from the CBC claiming that 350 civilians were killed in Iraq by the US. I guess Jay missed the headline of the CBC story: "Baghdad claims 350 Iraqi civilians killed in war." Jay, the claims are from Saddam's "Health Minster!" Do you really trust anyone from his regime to be honest about this issue? If you do, then you are either lying or are stupider than I thought. The article then states:

A Web site that is using media reports to tally the number of Iraqi civilian deaths in the war puts the number at between 227 and 304.

Jay is placing his trust in an unnamed website, whose sources are unconfirmed? Jay appears to be exceedingly gullible. I wonder if he is interested in buying a portion of the Brent Spense Bridge.

It is just amazing how Jay attacks callers who voice opinions supporting the war, demanding they provide a level of proof greater than any court of law would require, where all other possibility must be removed, no matter how remote or farcical. I have not be able to take listening to Jay much this past few weeks leading up to and during the war. His persistent use of the most baseless propaganda reads like an International A.N.S.W.E.R. leaflet. Next I expect Jay to start denouncing the capitalist dogs for their abuse of the underclass and the economic apartheid, oh wait that is what a former 1230 the Buzz host is saying now a days.

UPDATE: Just so Jay does not pop a blood vessel, CNN is now reporting the same story.

Trucker claims he didn't aim to hurt war protesters
The newest talk radio "hero" has been born. This trucker was slated to appear on Scott Sloan's radio program this evening. I refuse to tune into the show. With topics like this "Should Muslims and Arabs be allowed to fight for the U.S. Armed Forces?", I can't see that anyone but bigots and/or racists would want to tune it in. I hope people understand it is all an act, but that is not understood by the ignorant masses of morons who listen and call into WLW. They don't know that WLW is all about sensationalism and ratings. They will say anything to get you to listen, except for an ever-shrinking list of taboos. Their station would not be so horrid if they were openly honest about what they did. They are trying to fool people. They are lying on purpose. They think it is just fictionalized entertainment, that is their rationale, but instead they have created a means of manipulation that is often pure Pravda. I would bet that this trucker is able to hire a good attorney with the money WLW helps raise for his “defense.” When you say things like this though: "I'm pleading not guilty," Watters said. "What I did was wrong. I did break a few laws, but I'm not guilty. you really make it difficult to defend, unless you cut a deal or shoot for jury nullification. He is out on bail on very low bail, and I am sure Mike Allen is looking to make this go away, especially with the coming outcry fabricated on WLW.