Justin's+Portfolio+letter+2

Justin Kauffman Journalism October 14, 2007

Book Letter #2

It is extremely difficult to cover the entire plot of the novel, because the authors elaborate on each topic in depth, while continuing to make important points. At the beginning of section two, they describe the impact of photographs in the media. They label the photographs received by specialist Joseph Darby to have had potential to be “iconic” (72) because of their sheer reality. The pictures revealed numerous accounts of U.S. officers torturing prisoners in cruel ways. Once the media obtained Darby’s pictures, a uproar began: “Ultimately, thousands of photographs accumulated at the offices of CBS News, the //Washington Post//, and the //New Yorker//. The included images of degrading treatment of prisoners, including building pyramids with their naked bodies and leashing them like dogs…” (72). The authors use this example to further their argument about the impact of media involvement in significant events. Midway through the novel I have come to understand that many people benefit greatly from the right to free speech granted in the Constitution. Previously, I felt that this right was just there, and it was a necessity. I came to the realization that I was ignorant. I was aware that anyone had the right to say what they desired, but the authors’ of this book go further than just speaking vulgar language or making obscene statements. They challenge the motives and actions of the Bush administration, the group of people that run our country. Scandals arise when famous people direct insults or criticism towards the federal government, such as the Dixie Chicks member, who claimed Bush lacked the ability to run a country efficiently. The three authors wrote a complete book about the errors that Bush and the people working for him have made since 2000. Without bringing my personal opinion of the issue into play, I feel this takes an immense amount of courage to write a book against the president and publish it in a country, which voted for him to stay in office for two straight terms. By writing this book, many people could be driven to hate the authors because of their outlook on the relationship between the media and the power politics of this country. The authors frequently use charts, graphs and tables as effective tools in __When the Press Fails__. The visual aspect of these graphics increases the intrigue of the novel. For example, their explanation of the media’s role in the Abu Ghraib scandals contains numerous tables and charts, which highlight the contents of nationwide articles on the Abu Ghraib issue. They benefit from the use of line graphs and tables, which expose interesting data that they were able to uncover about the media coverage surrounding the scandal. In addition, the arguments are also supported extremely well using various examples. They use mainstream newspapers such as the New York Times or the Los Angeles Times. This usage of popular media sources proves that the errors made by the media are not coming directly from inexperienced companies but from some of the most respected newspapers in the country. Up to this point, I find __When the Press Fails__ to be an appealing piece of literature. It demands the understanding of numerous concepts and ideas; however, it is not impossible to wrap your mind around them. The authors also provide fairly convincing evidence that furthers their points. __When the Press Fails__ brings certain things that I would never have even questioned into a critical perspective. For example, although their ideas pertaining to the Iraq War seemed farfetched at first, I was gradually convinced because of the author’s voice and influence. I was not completely aware of what was occurring prior to our invasion of Baghdad, but it seemed as if I only got one side of the story. The authors of this novel make a valid point when they say that the Bush administration successfully manipulated the media into presenting information in a one-sided fashion. It was uncommon to hear someone ask, “Do you think there are actually weapons in Iraq, or is the Bush administration telling lies?” The population of America merely recognized this information as truth. Following our entry to the war, people brought the conflict into a different light; however, many people overlooked any early questioning of the Bush administration’s plan.