By Paul Weiser
Let's introduce a military concept but apply it in a different context. The idea is "overwatch," old as teamwork itself but newly obvious in the media world.
"Overwatch" is the practice of having one unit observe from hiding while another performs a military function (such as advancing or digging in). The overwatching unit - a sniper team or artillery spotter - does not so much warn the overwatched force of threats but engage and neutralize (translation: shoot and kill) them.
Good and highly professional in military operations. In mainstream media (MSM) context, overwatch occurs constantly at both writing and editorial levels. When information arrives, overwatching MSM journalists evaluate it as to whom it will help or hurt and respond accordingly. If it hurts a Democrat - particularly Hillary Clinton - the news will be spiked and suppressed; if it hurts Republicans, it will be inflated beyond its actual significance and splashed across front pages for weeks. See, for example, reports of casualties and successes for US armed forces in Iraq: media overwatch trumpets the former and spikes the latter.
This kind of overwatch requires precise calculation: the media trumpet amnesty for illegals because its enactment would surely hurt Republicans up for election even though it's a pet project of President Bush. Liberals are in two minds about the Hillary-Obama choice, so - while they'll suppress bad news for both - they're susceptible to planted stories from either... rationalizing that the party needs to decide on just ONE candidate, early. A similarly delicate calculus leads the MSM to push Giuliani, who is unelectable due to his liberalism: they hate him, but hate Republican victory more.
This is all overwatch behavior. Now think: overwatch behavior intends to benefit friends and neutralize enemies... but what is the media doing when it obviously overwatches but pretends to have neither? Hiding.
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