Republican operatives got caught digitally "filling in" a crowd in a Bush campaign ad with men in military uniform. Well, actually it was a man in uniform. The same guy over and over throughout the mob, which made it pretty easy to spot "where's Sgt. Waldo?" and uncover the fraud.
We've come to the place where television programming is reality and news is carefully choregraphed and scripted by the subject.
The current administration has taken the term "newsmaker" quite literally, assuming the responsibility of creation of a daily reality. It's relation to the truth is irrelevant.
I am not a spin cycle virgin. I have been a reporter. I have been a public relations spokesperson. I've played the cat and mouse game from both sides.
I have been stung as a reporter. I have not lied as a p.r. person, but I have worked the shell game with certain facts. Contrary to popular opinion, regardless of your client's wishes, we civilians can not outright lie to the press without the expectation of:
1) destroying your professional credibility
2) getting smacked back twice as hard as the original story would have hurt on discovery of the lie.
Somehow those basic rules have been completely suspended by the Bushies.
Is it the advent of cable news that will not only willingly report a blue sky as magenta if that's what the White House says, but is also only too glad to remind us that said sky is falling?
Is it the consolidation of media ownership cementing one voice across multiple channels?
Or are reporters just worn out?
At the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center here they eliminated my husband's contract without notice in Immigrations Customs Enforcement along with 11 other men. Instructors who were here from the field were sent home. Another 30 instructors will be let go in December. Training was suspended for one of the key Homeland Security agencies because they had to divert training funds to the field offices where budgets were slashed. T
his particular agency trains nearly 40 percent of the students at FLETC -- by far the largest employer in our area. The number of students who train here and spend their money here has a tremendous impact on the local economy.
Thus, when the local newspaper was alerted to the story they made some phone calls. After a few days a Congressman called them back to assure them that all was well. It was just a handful of people. Big things are ahead.
Within a week, a special community leaders and media luncheon was held to put the audience asleep with a 40-minute Power Point presentation that made little sense other than to stress that overall budget to the facility was increased and it would be going in new directions, even teaching "counter-terrorism."
No plan was announced as to when this would happen or who would actually be taught. The idea that counter-terrorism did not actually come under the Homeland Security umbrella (CIA, FBI and military intelligence hold these roles and already have their own training centers) was not raised. But, they told the stalwart Chamber of Commerce souls, FLETC was going to convert dorms to classroom and more students would have to be staying in local hotels.
That was the good news they came to hear and the rest was inconsequential.
The current situation -- the loss of jobs, the loss of curent income to the community and the loss of training for a key agency -- was not at all addressed. The new buzz is counter-terrorism. Details, we don't need no stinking details.
The local papers reported the good news dutifully. I talked to a reporter who was there. She said "we know they are lying, but no one will tell us the truth."
It's not supposed to be that easy.


Copyright 2004 Judi Griggs