By Bob Parks ——Bio and Archives--October 13, 2007
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MILITARY REPORTERS AND EDITORS ADDRESS WASHINGTON D.C. 12 OCTOBER 2007 GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. SOME OF YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE THIS BUT I AM GLAD TO BE HERE. WHEN SIG ASKED ME IF I WOULD CONSIDER ADDRESSING YOU THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT I SHOULD COME INTO THE LION'S DEN. THIS WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I HAVE FIRMLY BELIEVED SINCE DESERT SHIELD THAT IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE STRENGTH OF OUR DEMOCRACY THAT THE MILITARY AND THE PRESS CORPS MAINTAIN A STRONG, MUTUALLY RESPECTFUL AND ENABLING RELATIONSHIP.That's one area where we are in disagreement...
THIS CONTINUES TO BE PROBLEMATIC FOR OUR COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY DURING TIMES OF WAR. ONE OF THE GREATEST MILITARY CORRESPONDENTS OF OUR TIME, JOE GALLOWAY, MADE ME A BELIEVER WHEN HE JOINED THE 24TH INFANTRY DIVISION DURING DESERT STORM.As far as Joe Galloway goes, we're all entitled to our opinions.
TODAY, I WILL ATTEMPT TO DO TWO THINGS--FIRST I WILL GIVE YOU MY ASSESSMENT OF THE MILITARY AND PRESS RELATIONSHIP AND THEN I WILL PROVIDE YOU SOME THOUGHTS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF OUR WAR EFFORT. AS ALL OF YOU KNOW I HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF RELATIONSHIPS AND EXPERIENCES WITH OUR NATIONS MILITARY WRITERS AND EDITORS. THERE ARE SOME IN YOUR RANKS WHO I CONSIDER TO BE THE EPITOME OF JOURNALISTIC PROFESSIONALISM--JOE GALLOWAY, THOM SHANKER, SIG CHRISTENSEN, AND JOHN BURNS IMMEDIATELY COME TO MIND. THEY EXEMPLIFY WHAT AMERICA SHOULD DEMAND OF OUR JOURNALISTS--TOUGH REPORTING THAT RELIES UPON INTEGRITY, OBJECTIVITY AND FAIRNESS TO GIVE ACCURATE AND THOROUGH ACCOUNTS THAT STRENGTHEN OUR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND IN TURN OUR DEMOCRACY.One would think that's what one would expect from journalists. Many of us understand reality is another thing.
ON THE OTHER HAND, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE ISSUED ULTIMATUMS TO SOME OF YOU FOR UNSCRUPULOUS REPORTING THAT WAS SOLELY FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING YOUR AGENDA AND PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF WHAT OUR MILITARY HAD DONE. I ALSO REFUSED TO TALK TO THE EUROPEAN STARS AND STRIPES FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS OF MY COMMAND IN GERMANY FOR THEIR EXTREME BIAS AND SINGLE MINDED FOCUS ON ABU GHARAIB.The media did seemingly latch onto that and gleefully used a rather broad brush bashing all soldiers, the Administration, and the mission because of the actions of a few bad eggs. Let's not forget, the Abu Ghraib pictures were circulated widely around the world in print, on television, and on the Internet, and the enemy used those pictures as well. To this day, even the Iranian president mentions that unfortunate, yet isolated incident to bash our President, the mission and our soldiers carrying it out.
LET ME REVIEW SOME OF THE DESCRIPTIVE PHRASES THAT HAVE BEEN USED BY SOME OF YOU THAT HAVE MADE MY PERSONAL INTERFACES WITH THE PRESS CORPS DIFFICULT: "DICTATORIAL AND SOMEWHAT DENSE", In other words, you're too stupid to know we're right, you're too stubborn, and you won't to listen to us. So shut up and do what we want, now! "NOT A STRATEGIC THOUGHT", In other words, you're too stupid to know we're right, you're too stubborn, and you won't to listen to us. So shut up and do what we want, now! LIAR, In other words, you're too stupid to know we're right, you're too stubborn, and you won't to listen to us. So shut up and do what we want, now! "DOES NOT GET IT" AND In other words, you're too stupid to know we're right, you're too stubborn, and you won't to listen to us. So shut up and do what we want, now! THE MOST INEXPERIENCED LTG. Call an officer names behind his or her back, and that's one thing. A civilian ragging on his or her experience
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Bob Parks is a is a member/writer of the National Advisory Council of Project 21. Bob’s websites are Black & Right and youtube.com/BlackAndRight