For the most part, our soldiers don’t want publicity. They are not trying to become celebrities. Our men and women, fighting for freedom (rightly or wrongly), are much more modest.
The best example of this is the World War II Memorial. This memorial celebrates, in the words of Tom Brokaw, “The Greatest Generation.” It was finally opened to the public on April 29, 2004, nearly fifty years after the conflict ended. Did they deserve this? Unequivocally yes. Did they ask for it? One veteran asked his Representative[1]. It was approved on the fourth time.
Over 16 million US forces served in World War II and over 400,000 died due to service. Clearly they are a modest group.
I say this because recently, on October 11, 2007, Navy Seal Lt. Michael P. Murphy received our nation’s highest military decoration posthumously. I knew of this because I read libertarian and conservative blogs (Ace of Spades, Volokh Conspiracy, Blackfive, Reason) and it was mentioned there. It was also mentioned in a few New York daily newspapers, such as the New York Post, Newsday, and the Daily News. Not the New York Times. Fox News ran the story, and so did the LA Times[2]. That’s it. Not the Washington Post. Not the Washington Times. Not the Chicago Tribune. Not the Indianapolis Star. Not (MS)NBC. Not CBS. Not ABC.
Blackfive has a good article on Murhpy. The Medal of Honor has only been awarded five times for conflicts that occurred after the Vietnam War. I would think that a new recipient would garner some sincere attention from the media. I am wrong.
But the reality is for those who care all this means, in the words of his mother, is, “now the world will know what his family has always known: how special he was.” Fortunately, modesty is still prevails in our military, not that the mainstream media knows it.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a belief in media that stories such as Lt. Michael P. Murphy’s won’t grab people’s attention, won’t cause people to buy a newspaper or click on a link on a website. Perhaps I’m in the minority, but I’d much rather read about stories such as Lt. Murphy’s over more negative stories about the US’s strategy in Iraq or criticism on the latest government official in the news.
I expect the media has data that supports their approach to these types of stories and decisions not to include them. I am curious, in those newspapers that did run the story were they on the front page or buried in some obscure location in the paper?