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Evaluating the Media's Role in Jessica Lynch Saga
Aired July 21, 2003 - 15:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Former Army POW Jessica Lynch is expected to return home to West Virginia tomorrow. Early reports of her dramatic rescue in Iraq captivated a nation at war. But the details in those same early reports later came into question.
Our Bill Schneider has more on the media's performance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Until April 1, the war news had been mostly discouraging. Then suddenly:
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The good news for all of the people, all of the family members in West Virginia of 19-year-old Jessica Lynch. She's now back in control, under U.S. control.
SCHNEIDER: The story had all the elements of a Hollywood drama. A young female soldier from a small town in West Virginia, captured in an enemy ambush, missing in action for nine days, severely injured, dramatically rescued by U.S. special forces from behind enemy lines. All that is true.
But the Jessica Lynch story became something much bigger. The war needed a hero. And that need drove the story.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone was ready for a story of heroism. People were seduced by the little bit that they heard, and people ran with information that they shouldn't have.
SCHNEIDER: Like "The Washington Post" report on April 3, quoting military sources, that Private Lynch was fighting to the death, firing her weapon until she ran out of ammunition.
Weeks later, a "Post" investigation revealed that Lynch tried to fire her weapon, but it jammed. Reporters cited initial intelligence reports that Lynch had been stabbed or shot. But a draft of a later Pentagon report has revealed, she suffered major injuries when her Humvee was hit by an Iraqi grenade and plowed into a U.S. truck.
Add to all of this the pentagon-provided video of the rescue operation, and it looked like a great feat of daring do. But as CNN first reported in April...
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the doctors say the Iraqi military and other officials had fled at least 10 hours earlier. In fact, they say, early that morning, they tried to take Jessica to an American checkpoint.
SCHNEIDER: The Pentagon does not dispute that account. None of this diminishes Jessica Lynch's very real suffering and sacrifice. The authoritative source, Jessica Lynch herself, couldn't help. Doctors and her family say she has no recollection of events leading up to her rescue.
(on camera): What happens in an environment where the media grabs a popular story and won't let go? And the government is defending itself not just on the battlefield, but from critics around the world? A story that brings good news is likely to get hyped. And that's what happened here.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOODRUFF: Jessica Lynch is expected to head home to West Virginia tomorrow. Our cameras will be there at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. So count on CNN for live coverage of the homecoming.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 21, 2003 - 15:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Former Army POW Jessica Lynch is expected to return home to West Virginia tomorrow. Early reports of her dramatic rescue in Iraq captivated a nation at war. But the details in those same early reports later came into question.
Our Bill Schneider has more on the media's performance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Until April 1, the war news had been mostly discouraging. Then suddenly:
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The good news for all of the people, all of the family members in West Virginia of 19-year-old Jessica Lynch. She's now back in control, under U.S. control.
SCHNEIDER: The story had all the elements of a Hollywood drama. A young female soldier from a small town in West Virginia, captured in an enemy ambush, missing in action for nine days, severely injured, dramatically rescued by U.S. special forces from behind enemy lines. All that is true.
But the Jessica Lynch story became something much bigger. The war needed a hero. And that need drove the story.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone was ready for a story of heroism. People were seduced by the little bit that they heard, and people ran with information that they shouldn't have.
SCHNEIDER: Like "The Washington Post" report on April 3, quoting military sources, that Private Lynch was fighting to the death, firing her weapon until she ran out of ammunition.
Weeks later, a "Post" investigation revealed that Lynch tried to fire her weapon, but it jammed. Reporters cited initial intelligence reports that Lynch had been stabbed or shot. But a draft of a later Pentagon report has revealed, she suffered major injuries when her Humvee was hit by an Iraqi grenade and plowed into a U.S. truck.
Add to all of this the pentagon-provided video of the rescue operation, and it looked like a great feat of daring do. But as CNN first reported in April...
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the doctors say the Iraqi military and other officials had fled at least 10 hours earlier. In fact, they say, early that morning, they tried to take Jessica to an American checkpoint.
SCHNEIDER: The Pentagon does not dispute that account. None of this diminishes Jessica Lynch's very real suffering and sacrifice. The authoritative source, Jessica Lynch herself, couldn't help. Doctors and her family say she has no recollection of events leading up to her rescue.
(on camera): What happens in an environment where the media grabs a popular story and won't let go? And the government is defending itself not just on the battlefield, but from critics around the world? A story that brings good news is likely to get hyped. And that's what happened here.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WOODRUFF: Jessica Lynch is expected to head home to West Virginia tomorrow. Our cameras will be there at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. So count on CNN for live coverage of the homecoming.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
