"Target of opportunity"

[Chicken]

Now, I do appreicate the media letting people know what is going on (and I'm not going to debate how the media is controlled by anyone). Obviously, if something happens, then it should be reported. However...

It annoys the *bleep* out of me that if a weapon is fired, that single incident will result in 8 hours of new coverage. Just as with the shuttle disaster, they switch between mindlessly repeating news about something no one is sure about, to every 'expert' giving their take on what is going on and speculating on everything from what happened to what will happen, and how it affects things.

Bottom line is that they don't know. The 'experts' haven't a clue. Yet they somehow manage to continue 'coverage' of the incident for 8 hours. It is almost amazing if you watch. Sort of like sports commentators who talk mindlessly about nothing just to fill the silence.

When I first saw 'the news' it was, "The war has started early. We had gotten the impression that it would start Friday. Yadda yadda yadda." This slowly went to, "It was a target of opportunity." which was the apparent buzzword of last night, as I heard it repeated about a million times.

Sorry, just a rant about how the news is reported during events like a bomb being dropped or the shuttle breaking up. Obviously these are newsworthy events, I just can't stand how it is presented and the loads of 'experts' who speculate on everything and don't know jack.

[interactive]

To your first point. I think the reason they go off on something that is just speculation, is to create doubt and suspicion (SP?). Keeps viewers on there channel and such. Every station no matter how nonbiast they say they are, they are still biast as hell. I have to agree with you that it seems as though they blow everything out of perportion. Which brings to mine Columbine, stations kept saying that 100 students were suspected dead, then 50 and down (not exact figures but you get my point). Or at the presidential elections. I think half the crap that came up is the media's fault. Just my worthless (due to inflation ;)) 2 cents

[allan]

Yea, the need to focus entirely on any one story bugs the heck out of me. The mind numbing things that are said just to fill up space makes it tough to watch (we have CNN on 24x7 in the SOC, so we get the brunt of it).

Its even worse now that network TV has decided to jump into the mix with extended coverage. I think we have enough news channels, we don't need network channels to go all news.

Oh, and one more thing, for the love of christ, please friggin stop saying Shock and Awe.

[ZummiBear]

If you have to ask......its not Shock and Awe...... <--- I agree they need to stop saying that. Although now they are saying that Saddam might have been taken out of one of the first buildings hit on a stretcher with an oxygen mask....but its uncomfirmed.....like always. They just need to find out the actual story.....and put that on =/ You only need to watch the news for a couple hours in the morning....nothing else usually happens to where it'll be updated =/

[allan]

Originally posted by ZummiBear:
You only need to watch the news for a couple hours in the morning....nothing else usually happens to where it'll be updated =/

Exactly, and if something does happen -- they can always interrupt.

[ZummiBear]

Since I have a tv card in my computer....everyone has been crowding around and watching the news....and I've fallen asleep a few times =/ probably not a good sign. Someone in the UK has said that one of Saddams sons was killed and Saddam was seriously injured....Yet on Fox News it said that Saddams main palace was hit but he was unharmed =/ BLAH!!!

[keyweb]

What really annoys me is that a lot of the reporters don't know squat about any of the weapons systems that they are reporting about. Like calling the F117 a bomber. A decent reporter at least knows something about the story that they are talking about. :banghead:

I watch some of the stuff with real interest because in my previous life (before doing web full time, I was an electrical engineer who has actually laid hands on almost all the air defense weapons that Iraq possesses, and actually gotten to tear apart and analyze a lot of that equipment, as well as perform field tests of much of that equipment against US aircraft. If I say any more they will throw me in jail :yikes:

[allan]

Originally posted by keyweb:

What really annoys me is that a lot of the reporters don't know squat about any of the weapons systems that they are reporting about. Like calling the F117 a bomber. A decent reporter at least knows something about the story that they are talking about. :banghead:


Decent reporter? What's that :D?

[interactive]

F117, don't know why it classified as a fighter since they mostly use it for bombing anyways (correct me if I'm wrong?).

[ZummiBear]

Originally posted by keyweb:

What really annoys me is that a lot of the reporters don't know squat about any of the weapons systems that they are reporting about. Like calling the F117 a bomber. A decent reporter at least knows something about the story that they are talking about. :banghead:

I watch some of the stuff with real interest because in my previous life (before doing web full time, I was an electrical engineer who has actually laid hands on almost all the air defense weapons that Iraq possesses, and actually gotten to tear apart and analyze a lot of that equipment, as well as perform field tests of much of that equipment against US aircraft. If I say any more they will throw me in jail :yikes:


yeah you have to be careful on how you word things....=/ Never know when something is being monitored.....before getting into web hosting.....I umm changed diapers....I worked at a daycare with in the one year old room...it was the best....but I moved so I couldn't stay working there =/

[interactive]

You guys here about the thing the other night when Bush was making his speech. I guess a CBS camera dude screwed up. He turned it on while President Bush was gettign his hair combed, unfortunetly BBC broadcast it all over the world. Although no US stations got it. Thought it was funny so I shared ;-)

[Jan]

Did he comb his hair himself, or have someone do it for him? :p:

[Chicken]

I would think he'd have people to comb his hair before a press conference! Probably has people to do a lot more things... ooops, that was Clinton :o:

[Jan]

:uzi: :chicken:

[James]

jan,
dont kill the chicken!!!

and yea i do agree about the reporters being dumb
and yea a f1-17 is a fighter and a bomer its a dual role plane that does kick some good butt.
umm aka the stealth fighters i think but i could be worng
laters
james

[keyweb]

The designation F in front of the 117 tells what type of military aircraft that it is classified as. Yes, it does bombing also, but it is not desinated as a bomber, like a B1, B2, B52, etc. Virtually all fighters can perform bombing missions, but that does not make them a bomber.

[interactive]

True. I kind of always had this picture stuck in my head of the F117 being a bomber (Even though it's not designated as). Probably wouldn't stand up to air to air combat though..