American Spectator's Yost: Journalists are "somewhat embarrassed ... by people who do incredibly heroic things"
On Fox News' Your World, guest host David Asman stated that journalists covering the Iraq war are "not going to report on a lot of heroism." In response, American Spectator contributing writer Mark Yost claimed that he had been told that people are "somewhat embarrassed by people or feel lesser of themselves by people who do incredibly heroic things," and that "they don't make a big deal of it, because they themselves know that maybe, perhaps, in the same situation they wouldn't have done the same thing."
Appearing on the May 15 edition of Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto, American Spectator contributing writer Mark Yost, in response to guest host David Asman's statement that journalists covering the Iraq war are "not going to report on a lot of heroism," claimed that he had been told that people are "somewhat embarrassed by people or feel lesser of themselves by people who do incredibly heroic things," and that "they don't make a big deal of it, because they themselves know that maybe, perhaps, in the same situation they wouldn't have done the same thing."
From the May 15 edition of Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto:
ASMAN: But Mark, you know -- I don't think I'm divulging anything secret here -- you were a former Navy SEAL. You know that that's not at all unusual for these secret missions. But, somehow, the story gets out, and it's not getting out here. Do we in the media have any blame for that?
YOST: I think it does have to do with the media, David, in terms of -- I think that the coverage of the war from both Iraq and Afghanistan has been largely negative. And these are, you know -- and the point I try to make to people who are against the war is that you can be against the war and still celebrate these people.
ASMAN: Well, that's what the folks who are against the war say, but the question is if your heart and mind -- if the heart and mind of the people fighting the war is not in the war, as is the case with a lot of journalists covering the war, then they're not going to report on a lot of heroism.
YOST: Well, that's true. And as I mention in the article, even with reporters and with everyday people -- I had a retired Marine tell me that a lot of times people are reluctant, they're somewhat embarrassed by people or feel lesser of themselves by people who do incredibly heroic things, and sometimes it's better off that they quietly acknowledge it, but they don't make a big deal of it, because they themselves know that maybe, perhaps, in the same situation they wouldn't have done the same thing.
ASMAN: Yeah.
we would not have sports and tv stars.
remember how people were praised in the press for what they did on 9/11?
See how Yost sells his statement: I talked to a marine!
That is a hell of a study, Yost.
What has Yost done lately that's so heroic?
Does he think that poo-pooing the press, of which he knows very little, is heroic?
Eff this guy.
for a year.
Do you have anyconception of what a Navy SEAL is or what SEALs do? Yost happens to have had a distinguished military career, which was cut short due to his war wounds. His experience as a journalist is also quite extensive and distinguished. Know what you're talking about before you spew your ignorant blather.
Distinguished career and all.
everyday there is not another 9/11 it's because of the government's security practices. everyday there is not a story of remarkable heroism it's because the journalists (only the liberally biased ones) are cowards and are shamed of the mind blowingly heroic behavior of our troops.
so if you don't die today you have us to thank because we are heros despite being surrounded by cowards.
the less information you have about what we're doing the more room there is for the imagination to acurately capture the super secret amazing things we really are doing. so bury your head in the sand like a true american.
That has to be one of the stupidest things I ever heard. Reporters drool for heroic war stories, readers gobble them up and they get lots of air/print play.
Of course most reporters only document actual events not fantasy so that would prevent them from printing that Iraq is like Vegas with more fireworks. That seems to be how Republican perceive it at the moment.
In fact, journalists are more often guilty of blowing a person's "heroism" out of proportion to make a better story.
The media creates heros where there were none, not the opposite.
Pat Tilman and Jessica Lynch, anybody? Anybody?
It wasn't really only the media that spawned those stories. The MILITARY gave them the "story" (ie completely fabricated details) and they ran with it, but it wasn't the media that made up the story out of whole cloth. As Tillman's father said "They blew up their poster boy" and covered it up; making up some heroic story about his death, when they knew it was friendly fire the whole time. Us killing our OWN heroes doesn't play well, you see.
Remember Jessica Lynch? Or how about the "rescue" of her?
I have no idea who Yost is and quite frankly I don't care. This is obviously just another conservative right wing attempt to play the "liberal" media game. They have been pounding this propaganda for a quarter of a century no matter how inc0rrect it is.
Spare me your self-indulgent naval gazing fest.
I would like journalists to report on the heroic immigrants who come to this country, in the face a racism and an ever-increasing repressive government, to feed their families.
I'd like to journalists to report on the heroic gay activist who often risk their lives for something so obvious; equality, dignity. And they do it in the face of homophobia and an ever-increasing repressive government.
I'd like journalists to report on the heroic single mothers who attempt to raise their children, feed them, keep them safe and healthy, and try and get an education to better themselves in the face of a govenrment that more and more could care less about living children, about living women, but instead stigmatizes them in this ever-increasing repressive nation.
Yost, get over yourself.
These guys' attempt at portraying war journalists as petty, jealous, and vindictive is an utter outrage.
Why is there not more HEROIC, Audie Murphy-style, GOOD NEWS out of Iraq? The only answer these guys can come up with is that the journalists are spiking all good news stories, because they are unprofessional.
To that end:
[link to www.cpj.org]
Randi Rhodes flogged a Rightwing Chickenhawk the other day on CNN. The 24-year-old warmonger was exposed for the loudmouthed coward he was, and it was brilliant. "GO TO IRAQ! Sign up!" Rhodes said, and with perfect application.
To these guys, I'd say the same. If they're so selfless and smart, and THEY know the HERO stories when they see them, head for Iraq! Take up pen in hand, and fill that void! There's no physical and no age limit for reporters, you know. All it takes is GUTS. Ooops.
Let them be our nations new crop of heroes. I get really angry when I see people all fired up for this war, yet they're not over there fighting it or covering it.
Please, go to Iraq, become heroes and when we're through with you we'll drag your name through the mud when you don't agree with whatever we're selling next year.
We need fewer of these loud mouthed cowards and more reasonable people in positions of authority in this country
Where's right-winger Wesley to tell us that our soldiers in Iraq aren't heroes, and don't deserve to be treated as such?
I mean, you just pulled that totally out of your A$$, at least clean it off first!!