Volume CXXXIII, Number 6 October 19, 2001 f

Media rules

The Orient is a small fish in a big journalistic pond. Without a big city correspondent, we're limited in the scope of "real world" news we can cover. We accept this limitation, and try to link national news to local effects, but at the same time, we pay attention to the behavior of the bigger fish.

One big fish to watch these days is Ari Fleischer, the President's press secretary. Fleischer is very good at his job, and he has been especially good at it recently. The proof is that the White House press corps is angry at him, and not the administration figures above him. Fleischer has been playing the bad cop, lashing out at various reporters and media figures.

After one talk show host described the U.S. use of cruise missiles as "cowardly", Fleischer announced that "there are reminders to all Americans that they need to watch what they say, watch what they do, and this is not a time for remarks like that; there never is." The clumsily Orwellian language didn't exactly give journalists pause, and Fleischer was roundly criticized for his bluntness.

Fleischer finally got a good cop to match his style last week. National Security Adviser Condeleeza Rice spoke to the heads of the major TV networks in a conference call, asking them to review carefully the footage in their possession of Osama bin Laden speaking. Rice told the networks that there may be coded messages in the footage intended for bin Laden's followers, and that playing the tape in its entirety may jeopardize national security. The executives were asked to look over the tape and select carefully which parts to air.

The networks fell all over each other agreeing to her request, taking very seriously the shiny new deputy marshal stars that Sheriff Rice asked them to wear. It was expert media handling on her part- and it worked even better after Fleischer had laid the groundwork. Her request sounded reasonable in the light of Fleischer's previous condescension. In making himself look dumb, Fleischer allowed his bosses to look smart, and the media executives fell for it.
Their decision to use caution in giving bin Laden free airtime is wise on its own merits, but the good cop-bad cop game played on the media by the administration was successful, too.

-JMF