It's News When The Newsman Gets Hurt

Some US troops question Woodruff coverage
By PAMELA HESS
UPI Pentagon Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- The American media stood up and took notice when an improvised explosive device grievously injured an ABC News crew Sunday.

In Iraq, and throughout the military, there is sympathy and concern for anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt, but there is also this question:

"Why do you think this is such a huge story?" wrote an officer stationed in Baqubah, Iraq, Monday via e-mail. "It's a bit stunning to us over here how absolutely dominant the story is on every network and front page. I mean, you'd think we lost the entire 1st Marine Division or something.

"There's a lot of grumbling from guys at all ranks about it. That's a really impolite and impolitic thing to say ... but it's what you would hear over here."

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And this comes as a surprise to them? Some of the animals are more equal than others it seems (with apologies to Orwell).

I feel badly for the reporters and their families, but please explain to me how their suffering is worse or more worthy than the soldiers, sailors, airman and Marines who have suffered and died in this war? Arguably it can be said that the reporter was there solely to make a buck, so how does that qualify one for front page treatment, especially when said reporter was standing up, exposed in the back of an armored vehicle in the middle of a war zone.

I hope they recover fully, but I'm afraid that the attitude and tone of the reports regarding our wounded media friends betray the light with which the third fourth (corrected 'cause I'm stupid) estate views my and my fellow soldiers service to this nation. I wish I could say that that surprises me...but it doesn't. And that folks is the real crying shame of this whole matter.