This is a response to the editorial in the Nov. 12 issue of The Spectrum ["The Truth Need Not Spin"].
It is undeniable that the public and international opinion of this war against terrorism is extremely important to its success. The U.S. media is our only gateway to the information surrounding these events. What information the government and media release to the public is all the information that we as citizens may receive. This is sometimes a frustrating and confusing condition for people hungry for news of what is happening on the other side of the world.
However, to say that the government is spinning propaganda to its citizens is unfounded and, given the circumstances, irresponsible. This war is all over television, print and radio. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, we have access to the sights, sounds and events of the war. On days when President George W. Bush is not seen addressing the nation, Press Secretary Ari Fleischer is on television fielding question after question and explaining the policies of the administration. We see Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers on an almost daily basis, describing and explaining the most recent events in the war against terrorism.
Media networks have correspondents in Afghanistan and with the allied forces in the Middle East. Your editorial mentioned that correspondents had been allowed on "only three aircraft carriers." Until this weekend, the U.S. aircraft carriers involved in the operations were the Kitty Hawk, the Theodore Roosevelt, and the Carl Vinson; that's three.
I would ask you, what information is it exactly that the American public is being deprived of? What more do we need to know? Is it completely necessary for every single person in the United States and the world to know the precise operational procedure for every maneuver that our forces undertake? Absolutely not.
The U.S. media is very much concerned with the "entertainment value" of this war. They do not want news, they want stories. We are told that U.S. and British warplanes are bombing Afghanistan, and we are shown footage daily of the planes attacking their targets. We are told that U.S. special forces are involved in covert operations within the war zone, and we are shown taped footage of our soldiers creeping through the night, risking their lives for our freedom. What more information should be available? Do we want the location and exact targets of every operation? To release that sort of information would make this war even more dangerous for the young men and women fighting for our country. I, for one, feel that if information may possibly endanger a single American, then it should not be released.
Your editorial said that our government has been "attempting to further enlighten the Arab and Muslim world about our intentions." Providing the world with information about our intentions to destroy terrorism is very necessary. To describe the exact operations and military strategy is not necessary; indeed it's dangerous. Our government will continue to explain and validate our operations; this is not "spinning" the war. You need not listen to Secretary Colin Powell for an example of news spin. You might rather tune into CNN or ABC to see the real experts at work.
