Project for Excellence in Journalism

Blogs Find Fox News Story on SEALs

December 3, 2009

A story that has generated little attention in the mainstream media was the most popular subject among bloggers last week.

From Nov. 23-27, 40% of the links in blogs were to a Nov. 24 Fox News report about the pending court martial of three Navy SEALs who captured a wanted terrorist in Iraq, according to the New Media Index from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. Many commentators, who tilted conservative, expressed outrage that the men are being prosecuted for an alleged assault against Ahmed Hashim Abed, the reputed mastermind behind the 2004 killing of four Blackwater contractors. Some of them blamed President Obama for allowing the case to proceed.

Until this week, Iraq had been largely absent from the news -- among both new and traditional outlets. So far in 2009, it has not appeared at all among the top five weekly subjects in the blogosphere, and in the mainstream press Iraq has accounted for less than 2% of the total news coverage, according to PEJ's News Coverage Index. Even last week, virtually all the online commentary on the court martial case linked to one report on Foxnews.com, with few other mainstream media outlets doing independent reporting on the story.

The Iraq story accounted for more than three times the links as the second-largest story for bloggers last week: the Senate's Nov. 21 vote to begin floor debate on the health care reform bill -- a procedural victory for those pushing for comprehensive reform. Bloggers saw the vote as significant, and many used the opportunity to voice support or opposition to the reform effort.

The No. 3 story for bloggers (at 9%) was a BBC report about an iPhone virus, mainly affecting users engaged in online banking with the Dutch bank ING. The subject of global warming was fourth (at 8%), though the subject debated was not so much warming itself but the hacking of private emails from a British university climate change research unit . And fifth (at 5%) was the revelation that a Belgium man believed to have been in a coma for 23 years was actually conscious the entire time.

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin -- in the news for her book "Going Rogue" -- was the top attraction on the video sharing site YouTube last week. She was the subject of two of the top five videos, although not necessarily in a positive way. The top video, viewed more than a million times, came from the liberal organization, New Left Media. The eight-minute video showed Palin fans sounding ill-informed about her policies. The third most popular news video was of a Palin signing event in Indiana when she left with angry fans still waiting in line.

On Twitter, a different celebrity was the focus of the most linked-to news story. A CNN.com article on "Good Morning America's" decision to cancel a live concert by singer and "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert received 13% of the news links. Most of the tweets expressed surprise and disappointment with ABC's decision, which followed Lambert's sexually suggestive performance on the American Music Awards.

The next most popular stories on Twitter were technology-related, with most involving unique ways companies use social media to advertise.

For example, second, at 12%, was a story about advertisers paying Twitterers to mention products in their tweets. Next (at 10%) was a report about an Ikea marketing campaign in Sweden that used the photo-tagging feature on Facebook.

A bizarre article and video about a Japanese man who held a ceremony to marry a fictitious video game character was fourth at 7%. And a report about Apple iPhone ads attacking their competitor, Verizon's Droid, was fifth also at 7%.

SEALs Facing Charges

On Nov. 24, Fox News reported that three Navy SEALs who had captured Ahmed Hashim Abed in September now faced assault charges. Many bloggers, especially conservatives, were infuriated that the SEALs might be punished for the capture. A few of the details reported by Fox News have been disputed. Nevertheless, many bloggers adamantly criticized the charges based on the Fox News report.

"Who are the idiots in charge of this and who are the cowards that let it even move forward???" asked redfinch at Staying Home Baking Cookies. "This is a WAR and the poor ‘victim' was not a victim at all. HE KILLED AMERICAN'S!! A fat lip???? For all we know he hit himself in the lip. I just cannot believe this case is moving forward."*

"Awwww. The poor little Islamic jihadi who beheads non-Mohammedans and kills women and children got his feelings hurt because someone punched him!" echoed 84rules. "Whoever is running this investigation and pushing these charges needs to be thoroughly investigated and when wrong-doing is discovered (i.e. prosecutorial misconduct) they should be hand-cuffed and frog-marched off to prison!"

A number also focused their anger on Obama and liberals.

"Welcome to Obamanation," wrote Gary at LRRP's World. "Where the heroes get screwed and the scum of the earth get their rights in an American court."

"Gee, maybe instead of focusing on capturing terrorists and defeating the enemy in Afghanistan, we should follow the U.S. lead and begin arresting and detaining soldiers for doing their jobs," Adrian MacNair at Unambiguously Ambidextrous wrote sarcastically. "That's certainly what the Liberals seem to want us to do."

"Now we will see who President Obama & his butt wiping Attorney General, Eric ‘Toilet Paper' Holder, think has more rights -- the terrorist's or an American soldier," declared King's Right Site.

While a clear minority, a few commentators wondered if there was more to the story than had been reported.

"I would hazard a guess that Fox News has glossed over some important facts about the allegations here (shocker, I know)," posted an anonymous commenter at caaflog, a blog devoted to military justice. "The charge sheets would be an interesting read. They would probably show that some other good order and discipline issues exist aside from the alleged assault (orders violations, false official statements, etc.) that aggravate this case."

Health Care Vote

The Senate's vote to bring the health care reform bill to the floor drew generally predictable reactions from those on both sides of the polarizing issue.

"Since Harry S. Truman was President of the United States the Democrats have been trying to get health care for all Americans," declared Jim Howard. "At last it looks like it is going to happen. The Republicans, like always, have been fighting it tooth and nail ... I think the health care plan will work ... There will be fewer people in emergency rooms ... More people taking care of minor problems before they turn into major medical problems."

"Liberals are now one step closer to seizing more of our wealth in order to pay for their previous blunders under the hoax of a ‘crisis,'" warned Arkady at Right Condition. "Everyone who supports health care reform as offered by Pelosi and Reid are either incredibly stupid and naive or have Marxist blood coursing through their veins."

A Nov. 22 Washington Post piece by Dana Milbank detailed the agreement Democrats made with Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu to provide $300 million in extra Medicare subsidies to her state to secure her vote. The deal drew particular attention from those opposed to the bill, which critics nicknamed the "Louisiana Purchase."

"Pandora's Box has been opened with Reid's pay-off of Landrieu," exclaimed Douglas V. Gibbs at Political Pistachio. "Leftists have no scruples. They can be bought. Their own power is more important than what is best for the country, or whatever values and beliefs they may hold. There is no louder evidence than the Louisiana Purchase to prove those statements."

"Landrieu can excuse herself all she wants, and supporters can equivocate until the end of time," criticized Wellsy's World. "I have no faith now that Landrieu will act on her supposed concerns with the bill and will approve whatever comes through to the final vote simply so she can score some money and political capital at home. With what seems to be an obvious payoff, she's shown what kind of politician she is -- a typical one."

For more on the New Media Index, including the week's top YouTube videos and methodology, see journalism.org.

_{*For the sake of authenticity, PEJ has a policy of not correcting misspellings or grammatical errors that appear in direct quotes from blog postings.}