Controversy over supporting the troops and the "Freedom Walk"

[nemein]

First info on the event itself
http://www.asyfreedomwalk.com/


The tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, left an indelible mark on the American consciousness. This September 11th, the nation will gather in Washington, D.C. to remember the victims, honor our veterans, past and present, and celebrate our freedom with the America Supports You Freedom Walk, organized by the Department of Defense. Click here for details.


Then the "controversy", WP withdrew their support of the event based on these protests
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/11/AR2005081101980.html

Antiwar Activists Decry Media's Role in Promoting Pentagon Event

By David Montgomery
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 12, 2005; Page C01

Organizers of next month's planned antiwar demonstrations yesterday criticized media organizations, including The Washington Post, for co-sponsoring with the Department of Defense an event to remember the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks and to support the troops in Iraq.

The Defense Department-sponsored Freedom Walk will proceed from the Pentagon to the Mall near the Reflecting Pool on the morning of Sept. 11. Country music star Clint Black is donating his time to perform a concert after the walk that will be broadcast to troops overseas. The Post, WTOP radio, WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8 are donating public service announcements in advance of the event. Non-media co-sponsors include Lockheed Martin, Subway and the Washington Convention and Tourism Corp., according to the Defense Department's Web site for the walk.


The Sept. 11 events on the Mall include a Clint Black concert.
The Sept. 11 events on the Mall include a Clint Black concert. (By Rusty Russell -- Getty Images)

"The Pentagon has done some kind of event on 9/11 ever since it happened because we came under attack," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for communications. "It's to commemorate the victims of 9/11. It's to honor our veterans past and present."

On Sept. 24, nearly two weeks after the walk, critics of the war will gather in Washington for three days of demonstrations, including a concert, a march and other events.

Yesterday, some of those critics said media support for the Pentagon event undercuts their credibility in covering the controversial war as well as reporting on antiwar efforts.

"No common person will see this as not taking sides in this war," said Adam Eidinger, a promoter of the antiwar concert being called Operation Ceasefire. "This is clearly support for the war because it's being organized by the U.S. military."

"With The Washington Post and other media outlets supporting this, they are in effect putting their opinions behind the Bush administration," said Caneisha Mills, a national organizer with the antiwar group International ANSWER and a student at Howard University.

Representatives of the media organizations drew a distinction between supporting the troops and supporting the war policy. They also said the sponsorships emanated from the corporate sides of their companies, not the newsroom.

"Our interest in the event is consistent with our past support of causes related to the victims of September 11 and the veterans of wars past and present," said Eric Grant, spokesman for The Post. "The event was never presented to The Post as a rally to support the war. We would be disappointed if it took that approach."

"They're supporting American troops worldwide, supporting troops, not the policy, and they're honoring people who died in the Pentagon attack on 9/11," said Jim Farley, vice president for news and programming with WTOP. "As I see it, those are both worthwhile. We're not making a connection between the war and 9/11."

"I don't see a tie between supporting our troops and whether or not you support the war," said Jerald Fritz, senior vice president with Allbritton Communications, parent of WJLA and NewsChannel 8. "You don't lose your patriotism because you become a journalist. . . . You can still support the troops and be an objective reporter."

Participants in the Freedom Walk will have to register with the Pentagon ahead of time via the department's Web site. Barber said that requirement is only to give planners an idea of the crowd size for logistics and security. She said the intent of the Freedom Walk is being miscontrued by skeptics and maintained that the public understands the difference between honoring troops in general and endorsing a particular war.

"The American people are smart," she said. "They get how important it is to support the people who fight the war without having to get into a statement about the policy of the war."

But the peace activists said the Pentagon event can't help but be political. "For the Pentagon to be instigating what is essentially a support-the-troops rally off of September 11 is offensive," Eidinger said. "Because they're promoting a lie, that the war in Iraq had anything to do with September 11."

So far, media outlets are not offering to co-sponsor the demonstrations of Sept. 24, said Mills, with ANSWER.

"Operation Ceasefire is just as much a worthy cause to support the troops as giving money to the U.S. military to put on a pro-war rally at the Lincoln Memorial," said Eidinger.


Finally the Pentagon's response
NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense

No. 843-05
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug 15, 2005
Media Contact: (703)697-5131
Public/Industry Contact: (703)428-0711

Statement on Freedom Walk


It is unfortunate that the Washington Post has made this decision
not to support the "Freedom Walk," but we welcome their donation to the Pentagon Memorial Fund. This is a commemorative event to honor the memory of the victims who died in the attack on the Pentagon and to highlight the yet to be constructed Pentagon Memorial.



Everyone in American will pay tribute and commemorate this important
day in different ways. This event is an opportunity to remember the victims and their families, to reflect on the sacrifices made by our troops and to recommit to the work still ahead.



Regardless of how one chooses to observe this anniversary we should
never forget the sacrifices - both past and present -- made by those in defense of our freedom.



[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20050815-4429.html]



As I see it this does seem to be a generic support the troops event, but I guess these days anything like this is going to be caught up in the larger context of the war.

[Groucho]

Damn liberal media is at it again!!!1111!!!one!!!!

[nemein]

I don't think it's that simple. The WP was originally co-sponsoring the event since it is a local activity and something that is meant to support the troops. I think it gets to the larger issue of what is exactly meant by "supporting the troops"?

[Groucho]

There seems to be a disconnect between the two articles. In the first, it says the WP is supporting the "Freedom Walk," but in the news release it says it isn't?

[nemein]

Sorry I didn't make it clearer, WP withdrew their support based on the protest mentioned in the middle article.

Here's another article that is a little clearer (I found another source as the WP article itself is still in "lock down"/registered users only)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050816/pl_nm/media_post_walk_dc_1
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Washington Post dropped its sponsorship on Monday of a walk organized by the
Pentagon to remember victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks and to support U.S. troops, saying it was possible the event would become "politicized."
ADVERTISEMENT

The newspaper's news employees' union had urged the newspaper to reconsider co-sponsoring the Defense Department's "Freedom Walk," which it said was a political event.

Critics of the war in
Iraq gathering for demonstrations in Washington beginning on September 24 also had criticized media outlets for co-sponsoring the Pentagon event. The Washington Post was one of several local media organizations that had signed on to promote the walk.

"As it appears that this event could become politicized, The Post has decided to honor the Washington-area victims of 9/11 by making a contribution directly to the Pentagon Memorial Fund," Eric Grant, a Post spokesman, said in the newspaper's Tuesday edition. "It is The Post's practice to avoid activities that might lead readers to question the objectivity of The Post's news coverage."

The Post article said the newspaper had notified the
Department of Defense that it would no longer donate public service advertising space to promote the Pentagon walk.

The Post spokesman was not immediately available for further comment.

Leaders of the newspaper's unit of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild Local 32035 delivered a resolution to publisher Bo Jones' office stating its concerns over linking the paper to the Pentagon event, unit co-chairman Rick Weiss said.

"The statement urged Post management to reconsider the decision co-sponsoring this event in the interest of maintaining the paper's reputation for neutrality on polarizing issues of public policy," Weiss said.

According to excerpts published on the Editor and Publisher Web site, the resolution said: "Post news employees are subject to disciplinary action for participating in political activities that may be perceived as revelatory of personal opinions or bias. The Washington Post itself should be held to the same high standard."

The resolution said the prominent participation of country music star Clint Black belies arguments that the walk was not a political activity in support of the war in Iraq.

Black is headlining a concert outside the Pentagon after the walk. The guild unit's resolution said Black was "best known of late for his war-glorifying song 'Iraq and I Roll.' "

[Duran]

The controversy extends further than just antiwar activists. Others aren't too keen on the idea either. Many people see a march followed by a concert to be far too close to a "celebration", which is not really an appropriate event (in my opinion) for September 11.

Personally, I question why the Defense Department is paying for this.

[Groucho]

I guess my thing is why combine the 9/11 memorial with an Iraq rally?

[nemein]

I guess my thing is why combine the 9/11 memorial with an Iraq rally?

I guess it can be seen as such but I don't think it is really meant to be an "Iraq rally". It's a generic "support the troops" thing, something which I believe they have done in one form or another on 9/11 since 01.

http://www.asyfreedomwalk.com/about.html

Q8 Why is DoD organizing this event?
A8: Every year since Sept. 11, 2001, the Department of Defense has organized a commemoration for our victims' families, for our victims, for the Pentagon employees and for the volunteers who were there that day helping us and for our men and women in the military. This year we have organized the America Supports You ‘FREEDOM WALK’ to pay tribute to those groups. It's a way for people in the D.C. area to recognize what happened that day, to reflect on that and to commemorate our victims, their families and our American service men and women, both past and present.

Maybe a walk/event of this nature is inappropriate, I think they were just trying something new though.

[Groucho]

It does seem to me that WP is "damned if they do, damned if they don't" in this situation. No matter what they do, one side or another is going to scream "OMG BIAS".

[Duran]

I guess it can be seen as such but I don't think it is really meant to be an "Iraq rally". It's a generic "support the troops" thing, something which I believe they have done in one form or another on 9/11 since 01.

http://www.asyfreedomwalk.com/about.html


Maybe a walk/event of this nature is inappropriate, I think they were just trying something new though.

I don't necessarily doubt the organizers had their heart in the right place. Either way, I think think a walk with a concert featuring the singer of "Iraq and I Roll" is really an appropriate event for September 11th. There are plenty of days where it would be appropriate, although I would still question the Defense Department paying for it.

[Thor Simpson]

"Freedom Walk?" It should be called the "French Walk."

;)