It appears that the government gave the withdrawal story to NBC (MSNBC).

[Renew Deal]

CNN isn't covering it. It's also pretty clear that MSNBC knew this was coming. They have all their star personalities covering it including Maddow in Iraq. Do you consider it ethical for the government to give access to one network and not others? Is it the cost of balancing access with security? What do you think? Saying "Bush gave it to Fox" is not an answer.

[tridim]

1. MSNBC and NBC are the only networks that gave a damn about Iraq for years

I think they deserve it for that reason alone.

[JonLP24]

32. Not necessarily

NBC management lowered Ashleigh Banfield's profile for criticizing the media's coverage of the Iraq war at a speech given at a University. Here is what she says about it.

“Yet they wouldn’t let me leave. I begged for seventeen months to be let out of my contract. If they had no use for me, let’s just part ways amicably — no need for payouts, just a clean break. And Neal wouldn’t allow it. I don’t know what his rationale was — perhaps he thought I would take what I felt was a very strong brand, and others felt was a very strong brand, to another network and make a success of it. Maybe that’s why he chose to keep me in a warehouse. I will never forgive him for his cruelty and the manner in which he decided to dispose of me.”
http://mofflymedia.com/Moffly-Publications/New-Canaan-Darien-Magazine/January-2009/Truth-and-Consequences/index.php?cparticle=4&siarticle=3#artanc

They also fired Donahue because he was critical of the decision to go to war leading up to it. However to be fair this was before it was political popular to be against it.

[liberal N proud]

2. I was wondering what was going on

Are the rest of them just trying to ignore it because it was a promise kept. Or did the military only allow MSNBC. My guess is on the former.

They want to let this moment pass quietly because it would show a positive thing about Obama and they are in morning over the loss this will be for the military supplier complex.

[Parker CA]

7. Maddow made it sound as if NBC/MSNBC were the only outlets given permission to join the final convoy

leaving Iraq.

[tularetom]

3. I don't believe any network was denied access

I think CNN made a bad business decision by not covering it. I'm surprised that Fox isn't using the withdrawal of troops as a club to beat Obama about the head and shoulders and brand him as a Muslim loving foreign born socialist.

[Pab Sungenis]

4. In any military operation, you must limit access to information.

The White House knew it couldn't trust Fox to sit on it for the week or more it took to get this underway, since by letting it slip they could embarrass the President or even jeopardize the operation. They also might have had doubts about CNN. By letting very few, select MSNBC reporters know what was going on, they could get it covered safely.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. They had folks on the ground

other networks did not.

[Uzybone]

8. thats the bottom line

CNN has barely covered this war since Michael Ware left Iraq.

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

6. patch up relations with the professional left ?

[me b zola]

30. Or

Cynically uses Rachel and Keith's coverage to bash the left when we stop and look a little deeper and say WTF.

[blogslut]

9. Or...

Richard Engel, who is/was NBC's embed got the story first. While I'm sure our government is exceedingly glad to spread this news, I don't think the fact that NBC got the story first is some nefarious plan. Had one of the other embedded networks been first we would have seen them running instead of NBC.

[seabeyond]

10. you mean... the professional left. i gasp, i tell you. nt

[mmonk]

11. I applaud the administration for that actually.

[book_worm]

12. And you know for a fact that the government gave them the story? or is this more

speculation?

[Monique1]

14. Bottom line is

everyone would be happy if FOX noise machine had the exclusive on this - sure - our combat soldiers probably would be dead leaving.

Shows who the WH trusts and I applaud them.

[TheKentuckian]

13. Gotta sell fake peace to the Professional Left or we'll keep screaming to shut down the Pentagon

[Monique1]

17. I guess it is wrong for me or others to be happy

I will go into depression tonight until the day I die. That is what you want. Can't be happy or have hope.

[TheKentuckian]

23. Why be depressed? Celebrate another day of living.

[rufus dog]

15. obviously a calculated decision

and it will obviously create some blowback. So it looks like a big media fight with the WH is a planned event.

[AsahinaKimi]

16. I am glad FOX is not covering this

Can you imagine the crap spewed?
:puke:

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

18. Aren't other networks free to use NBC footage as pool reporting?

they just don't seem interested.

[BootinUp]

19. How do we know the other networks

decided it wasn't a big enough story to invest the same effort into it?

[Political Tiger]

20. You seriously think the other networks don't have reporters in Iraq?

I see no proof that some sort of exclusive deal was made with NBC or MSNBC, and until there is some proof of some secret deal it's irresponsible to suggest otherwise.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. No they did not

that costs a lot of money, and people have cut on foreign bureaus for the last 25 years.

Hell, FOX had to learn how to do this for this war, at the beginning, and promptly forgot it.

[Political Tiger]

31. Actually, they do. Rachel Maddow just mentioned it

and explained why MSNBC is on top of this story.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8971651&mesg_id=8972339

[Political Tiger]

21. Dupe. n/t

[EC]

24. None of the other networks have the capability to do it

they don't have the right equipment for moving shots...

[SeattleGirl]

25. That was an interesting bit about the Bloom Mobile. n/t

[EC]

28. Yes, it was... n/t

[Safetykitten]

26. Who is the celebrity presenter?

[JerseygirlCT]

27. They just explained it

They have technical capabilities that no other news service has - a satellite truck with the satellite afixed to a gyroscope, so they can b'cast on the move where others need a stationary satellite.

[Poboy]

29. I have problems with this arrangement, but

I must say, the coverage has been very objective.

On principle, this is exclusive is concerning.
I am very impressed however and wanted to commend the people at MSNBC on not being used for propaganda purposes.
The crew is doing a very good job at explaining the reality.