In Defense of Mr. Drudge - Reader comments at The New York Sun

Reader comment on:
The Mendacity Of the Liberal Press

Submitted by Arnold Rothlein, Dec 15, 2006 16:44

Dear Ms. Colon,

I read with interest your article concerning mendacity in media, The New York Times and The Drudge Report. Let me say first that I have, from time to time, enjoyed your articles and commentary, all through links provided on The Drudge Report! I agree with most of your argument about the nature of "reporting" as it is practiced by the New York Times staff and the overarching problem of mendacity in general in media outlets. I must, however, disagree with your attaching these well made points to The Drudge Report.

As a retired US Army Officer with over 20 years active service, many of those years overseas in tactical army units, I will tell you that The Drudge Report is the first place I go during my day to get news. One of the basic principles of warfare or rather succeeding at warfare is the dictum of "knowing your enemy". How can one know the nature of the political, economic and social forces arrayed against what I will call "conservtive" Americans if one doesn't know the perverted arguments made to advance those views? Yes, Drudge does post those inflammatory quotes and obtuse arguments. This does servethough as a means to allow us and our fellow Americams the opportunity to subject tose arguments to critical thought, analysis and in the end to the ridicule they deserve!

Drudge contains critical links to major outlets, one that I find invaluable is Lucianne.com, the site you offerh well dereved praise to in your article. Marshall McLuhan, the sometimes venerated, sometimes ridiculed observer of media and technology in the 60's and 70's invented what he called The Four Laws of Media. The one I think is most in effect today is that in the long run, sufficiently advanced technologies end up turning on the user of those technologies. That's where we are today with our news media. The media invented ostensibly as a tool to educate and inform is now actually the enemy of those functions. However, we do have tools that allow us to get to the truth it's just more work.

The Drudge Report is one of the sites that offers the tool to find truth. Usually within minutes if not hours, the headlines and disinformation spouted from the times is refuted, critiqued, analysed and we can recognize it for the biased attempts at manipulation it is.

So while I find your article and work to be insightful, informative and thought provoking, I must offer my respectful disagreement with your assessment of Mr. Drudges work.

Thank you for your efforts.

Sincerely,

Arnold Rothlein

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