News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci
(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: Selective Journalism

Date: June 08, 1998

Historicaly, the media has been less than responsible, sometimes even outright irresponsible when presenting anything about the POW-MIA issue.

For whatever reason, be it sales, personal politics, an 'unofficial' gag-order on the subject or a simple inability and unwillingness by the press pundits and most journalists to understand the issue, the reporting over the years has in many instances been downright devastating to the issue, the families and to the Prisoners and MIssing.

If one needs examples, let us list briefly: the Serex imagery fiasco, the mind-numbing Site 85 special that essentially killed Mel Holland in the public's eyes, the Sidney Schanberg series that was blacked-out of most syndications by the powers-that-be, the ridiculous rave reviews of Prisoners of Hope and subsequent defending articles when its author was found to be less than candid and truthful in representing her conversations and interviews with Carol Hrdlicka and Senator Bob Smith to name a few, the effervescent embracement of John Kerry and John McCain and the dismaissal of Bob Smith when the embargo issue was raised, the curious absence of the name LIPPO during campaign finance hearings, and now the Tailwind report that alleges US forces used lethal gas against American defectors during the Vietnam War.

Until all the sides have been heard from on this allegation, we have no comment, save this one -

The media has yet to tell the truth about American POWs and MIAs. The majority of the media has yet to provide the American public with substantial, honest reporting about the US abandonment of unaccounted-for Americans and the abandonment of the families... and many families of defectors have unaccounted-for men for which they seek answers. The media failed to cover Rolling Thunder three weeks ago when 3/4 of a million folks descended on Washington, DC to ride for freedom and honor the unaccounted-for, yet they find time and energy to produce this piece.

Selective journalism? You be the judge.