Trend stories versus real facts
The Common Ills
First and wrong?
We'll leave that to THE NEW YORK TIMES. All week, there have been reports of an American being captured by the Kurds, an American who had gone to Iraq to fight with the Islamic State.
We'll note what GMA is calling an exclusive this morning.
The thing that possibly most stands out is that it's a man.
I say that because of the 'trend' story from months ago.
Remember that?
AMERICAN WOMEN ARE GOING TO IRAQ IN DROVES TO FIGHT WITH THE ISLAMIC STATE!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, we called that nonsense out.
We were alone in doing so.
Maybe because 'media critics' like Bob Somerby are sexist pigs. They're unaware of Nora Eprhon's body of work as a media critic and they never bothered to read Susan Faludi's strong media critiques (including her critique of trend stories -- see BACKLASH: THE UNDECLARED WAR AGAINST AMERICAN WOMEN).
But it was a trend story, this droves of American women joining the Islamic State story. It did not have legs, it didn't have real backing and, when challenged, it died.
Trend stories get 'reporters' excited because they're 'sexy' -- or baseless. Just require jawboning (and discarding common sense).
That's how most are covering Moqtada al-Sadr these days.
The Shi'ite cleric and movement leader has called on his followers to rally behind the call for a new Cabinet of Ministers -- Haider al-Abadi's call.
Moqtada's not too concerned that the move goes against the Iraqi Constitution.
Nor are alleged journalists.
Alleged journalists are also ignoring the Shi'ite conflict before their eyes.
The Minister of the Interior has refused to provide security and has stated the protest should not happen.
That's shocking only if you don't know who heads that ministry.
Mohammed al-Ghabban.
Like Moqtada, he is a Shi'ite.
Unlike Moqtada, he belongs to State of Law.
That's the coalition of former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Nouri and State of Law have been vocal in their opposition to the cabinet 'reform' that Haider and Moqtada are pushing for.
There's a story there if any journalist cared to cover it.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
iraq
We'll leave that to THE NEW YORK TIMES. All week, there have been reports of an American being captured by the Kurds, an American who had gone to Iraq to fight with the Islamic State.
We'll note what GMA is calling an exclusive this morning.
"I decided I needed to escape." -A young American ISIS fighter said it was a "bad decision" to go to Iraq
The thing that possibly most stands out is that it's a man.
I say that because of the 'trend' story from months ago.
Remember that?
AMERICAN WOMEN ARE GOING TO IRAQ IN DROVES TO FIGHT WITH THE ISLAMIC STATE!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, we called that nonsense out.
We were alone in doing so.
Maybe because 'media critics' like Bob Somerby are sexist pigs. They're unaware of Nora Eprhon's body of work as a media critic and they never bothered to read Susan Faludi's strong media critiques (including her critique of trend stories -- see BACKLASH: THE UNDECLARED WAR AGAINST AMERICAN WOMEN).
But it was a trend story, this droves of American women joining the Islamic State story. It did not have legs, it didn't have real backing and, when challenged, it died.
Trend stories get 'reporters' excited because they're 'sexy' -- or baseless. Just require jawboning (and discarding common sense).
That's how most are covering Moqtada al-Sadr these days.
Iraq Live Update 
The Shi'ite cleric and movement leader has called on his followers to rally behind the call for a new Cabinet of Ministers -- Haider al-Abadi's call.
Moqtada's not too concerned that the move goes against the Iraqi Constitution.
Nor are alleged journalists.
Alleged journalists are also ignoring the Shi'ite conflict before their eyes.
The Minister of the Interior has refused to provide security and has stated the protest should not happen.
That's shocking only if you don't know who heads that ministry.
Mohammed al-Ghabban.
Like Moqtada, he is a Shi'ite.
Unlike Moqtada, he belongs to State of Law.
That's the coalition of former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Nouri and State of Law have been vocal in their opposition to the cabinet 'reform' that Haider and Moqtada are pushing for.
There's a story there if any journalist cared to cover it.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
iraq
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