Reality Check for the Media

The media is having a fit because the government is blocking them from broadcasting pictures of coffins coming back from Afghanistan and relatives of the dead soldiers weeping. The media is taking a brave stand that Canadians need to know the cost of this war. Well, maybe not so brave...

The fearless media want to pretend they are accomplishing something by putting some camera crews on the ground in CFB Trenton. But what they don't want to do is to actual show some courage and go to Afghanistan to do the filming. The government has made it clear that they are welcome to film the coffins being loaded into the planes. But going to Afghanistan would involve some risk. Even more risk would be required if they were to embed with military units in the field, report from the field and share the risk. But today's Canadian press would much rather try to stir up stories against the government here in Canada than they would try to follow the best traditions of journalism and find out what it really happening in Afghanistan.