The media's response to 9/11

Ignoring the lessons of 9/11
I believe Jensen's point on America's blindness due to power is pretty accurate. Whether or not the media supported or reinstated the war, I think there is a lesson to be learned from the invasion of Iraq and the "War on Terror", yet America's pride barely even allows citizens the ability to accurately assess the current failures of our country.

Also, it's important to note the possibility that it was not only the media and government alone who aided in the War on Terror, but America's entire system as a whole. Suppose there is a student who is not familiar with foreign and international policies, nor the detailed nature of the middle east and the taliban. By watching the news alone or listening to a speech shortly following 9/11, this student would immediately suppose that the attacks were done by terrorists from Iraq & Afghanistan and be on board with the plan to go to war. I believe the national failure of judgement preceding the invasion of Iraq was a result of not only the administration and the media, but also the education system and the nature of America's perception of life and power in regards to the rest of the world (we're right, they're wrong...no matter what.)


Documentary: Buying the War
I liked this documentary for revealing the rash actions of the media following 9/11. It not only told us but showed well-known journalists admitting to these mistakes. It accurately explores the connections between what the government was declaring and what the media was releasing. It also questions and challenges journalists to reevaluate their roles in the world. Are journalists now lost reinforcing the ideas of the government and reflecting them as the publics general opinion without even realizing they are doing so? Have journalist lost their sense of bias and revealing the truth?

Framing the War on Terror

The media's use of the label "War on Terror" highlights their inability to understand the depths of knowledge needed for the public to understand the true meaning of this term. It also shows their inability to truly connect with the public mind.

Also, the reification of the administration's claims as true without hard, concrete evidence shows the ability of the media to make mere ideas tangible and real in the public's mind.

I believe Reese and Lewis' assessment of journalist's role was pretty accurate, not only in terms of 9/11 coverage, but majority of media coverage as a whole.