From UPI:
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.”
As I wrote earlier, I understand the reason that the media has focused so much attention on Woodruff. But these troops have a point too. As MB reader Chris W. pointed out, often the local papers are the only places that readers can learn about the lives and deaths of individual soldiers:
Subject: Reporting the Death of Sgt. Herrera
His family’s story is an inspiration — and notable exception to Cindy Sheehan. Sgt. Herrera’s father is in the Army Reserves and plans to deploy to Iraq this Spring. Both Husband/Father and Son have the complete support of Sgt. Herrera’s mother, who also supports the war.
One media outlet did play Herrera over Woodruff – Herrera’s hometown newspaper – and my vote for the best 100K circ. newspaper in the country, the North County Times.
As far as I’m concerned, this is a more inspirational story than either Woodruff’s or Sheehan’s.
The media can’t give every combat death the same comprehensive coverage they’ve given to Woodruff. But more stories like Sgt. Herrera’s deserve to be told, and local papers are often filling that gap.