Monday, November 15, 2004

Hockenberry Comes Clean


OK, this was a first for me. Just try to follow along. I was surprised- no SHOCKED- to look in my inbox today and find an email from John Hockenberry entitled "white flags."

Dear 2Slick,

We have certainly gotten off on the wrong foot. I certainly didn't wish to insult you or offend your military service by missing your rank and mistakenly calling you an enlistee. I just receive so much hate mail from so many quarters being a member of the media. (we are reviled you know) I was, frankly, surprised by the tone of your remarks about Senator Kerry's war record (I ultimately think it was a bad campaign issue and had nothing to do with what kind of a president he might have been). That issues is quite moot after November 2nd. I was also taken aback by the way you lumped me in to scandals at CBS and some conspiracy to bring down George W. Bush. I have opinions like anyone else and like anyone else hate being told I'm part of a conspiracy, or ignorant, or unpatriotic or part of some profit motive for getting Kerry elected. But hey I'm a big boy. I can take it.

I just replied, perhaps stupidly, in the same tone as your original blog. I've spent lots of time on the internet. I think the internet is often not the best forum for dialogue. I can't imagine why you would want to start some campaign against me personally. I am closely following and am horrified by the tough campaign in Falluja. The discoveries of weapons and chambers of horror certainly suggest the challenges ahead for the military in Iraq. I certainly want you to stay safe and hope that you and your family can be as secure as me and mine in the future. Can we have a peace treaty? I am interested in your views and your experiences if you really want to talk. I have no interest in cutting off a source of information or perspective. If you really want to open a channel of communication I'm game. Internet road rage serves no one. I think the idea that journalists are against the military is a myth that neither of us should perpetuate. I'm deeply sorry if I have made an enemy of you. Please accept my apology.

Hey!! I really mean it. I left my real email because despite the tone of our little exchange I still respect and trust you.

Talk to you soon... maybe.

one other thing.... you should see the hatemail I get from people who think the media is actually part of the Bush administration. I've even been accused of actually helping to cause 9/11. It's a wearying blitz. You nailed me in a bad moment... but you nailed me.

best
jch


Yeah no kidding, right? How often does something like THAT happen? So of course I thought about it, and he sounded sincere enough. And here's the thing- a lot of people think I'm some kind of mean-spirited hack because of the way I felt about John Kerry. Well, Kerry was a very unique case for me. I'm normally just a happy-go-lucky guy who just wants everyone to get along. So this may upset some of you out there, but here's what I wrote back:

OK, I accept your apology, and I apologize if I jumped the gun with that posting. I'd be happy to post your apology on my site. Along with some kind of endorsement for a "peace treaty." I'm not into politics of hate or grudges (John Kerry doesn't count- that's a very rare thing for me). I understand that your job must come with a significant blitz. I'd just be careful about "venting" at people like that. Being in your profession and all. I mean, I didn't mind the "sparring" really- it was just surprising to see that stuff coming from a man who is supposed to be "objective" in his reporting about war issues. Just let me know what you'd prefer. I'm always willing to bury hatchets...

2Slick


To which he replied...

Captain,

post away... you are a good guy... and I'm man enough to say you taught me a lesson about the downsides of venting. In the middle of a political campaign where all rhetoric and discourse seems ignited with toxic venom it sometimes gets to be too much. I'll be candid and tell you that I have reservations about U.S. long-term strategy in the Middle East. None of that bears on my respect for you or my ability to be objective about what's going on in the field. As long as we're digging to bury hatchets let's find the treasure of newfound communication. Again, stay out of harm's way and you have my prayers for a swift end to the conflicts in Iraq. Thanks for being so... human. You can tell that I certainly am... human enough to have to ask: Now how do I get this combat boot out of my own mouth?

All best

john


And since this is my blog, I get the last word...

John,

No sweat. I'll post it all. If you're a better reporter because of this and I'm a better (or at least more thoughtful) soldier/blogger, then that works for me. I do admire your willingness to come forward and admit your mistake. I think a lot of people in your profession could learn a bit from you. There would certainly be fewer credibility concerns if this sort of thing happened more often in the media. I hope there was no irrepairable harm done. I'll "bury the hatchet" as best I can but I trust there may be those who will still be upset. I certainly trust you'll do your best to be as objective as possible with any future reporting (we'll be watching you!). In the meantime, do you have Jennifer Loven's email address? That's a joke...

Best to you and good luck,

2Slick


So that's how it all went down (during the past 40 minutes or so). I'm sure there will be some pretty upset people out there who don't agree with how I handled this, but it's just not everyday that an award-winning Dateline guy comes at you with an olive branch. I hope most of you agree that I did the right thing. I think we both did the right thing here, but that's just me.

I hereby officially declare John Hockenberry a friend and fellow seeker of the truth. No hard feelings, John. Just treat my buddies on the battlefield fairly, OK?

Back to today's original post...

What Hath Blogs Wrought?

Sorry if the headline is trite or oft-used (I haven't seen it yet), but it really is the first thing that came to mind when I saw my Hockenberry posting start zipping through the blogosphere yesterday. Whoa. I posted an alarming email from some journalist, and all of sudden thousands and thousands of people knew all about it. The power of the blogosphere amazes me. In case you were out windsurfing this weekend, let me get you up to speed.

I was ranting about Jennifer Loven last Saturday night (a little cranky, a little tired), and I decided (as an afterthought) to support the premise of my rant with an email snippet from my new "friend"- NBC's John Hockenberry. When I came back the next morning, I saw that my site had crashed from taking thousands of hits. RW Sparkle, The Commisar, Right on Red, Outside the Beltway, Black Five, Flopping Aces, and a myriad of other sites picked up on my post. You can check my Technorati "thing" to find many more. I searched far and wide, and I only found one blog site that took a "dissenting" approach- I was more than happy to jump into a thoughtful debate. Check it out at In Search of Utopia- I really think we all made some solid points and delved further into that lingering question- whose side are these people on? I'd encourage anyone to go finish up the debate with them (they are nice people- they don't bite), but I'm just too busy with other stuff right now. The whole thing just completely reinforced my faith in the blogosphere and it's ability to foster healthy debate, generate truth, and crush the spin- and it's often extremely entertaining. Definitely a great diversion after a long day in the desert. Sorry, but TV is overrated.

The Lingering Question

I guess the whole point of the Hockenberry post was to generate a new look into an old issue- the line between biased reporting (to further a political agenda) and treason (spreading propaganda that supports our enemy). I believe there is a line there somewhere- I'm not going to pretend that I know where it is. That's for all of us to figure out. Specifically, I pointed out Jennifer Loven's obvious conflict of interest and habitually biased reporting (and how it undermines our mission). If it were one or the other, I'd let it slide. But those are two separate and unique aspects of her that just can't be coincidental. At least not from where I'm standing. Finally, I shared an email that I received from John Hockenberry that looked- well...just looked bad. Needless to say, there were some strong feelings on the subject.

My personal feeling is that the MSM is using some old "means justify the ends" tactics that worked effectively during Vietnam. I don't think those tactics are working very effectively this time around. The fact that Kerry's actions during the Vietnam era were a liability to his campaign (as opposed to an asset) tells me that America learned a valuable lesson from that time in our history (although Wizbang correctly points out that not everyone has learned). In my humble opinion, this lesson is one more thing that we can all thank our Vietnam Vets for. They stood up to some pretty unfair treatment and lived their lives honorably during the past 3 decades. They quietly showed the angry mobs that they were not cold-blooded baby-killers, but rather upstanding and courageous warriors who would continue to honor their country no matter what. They paved the way for Iraq Vets (like me) to be treated with the sort of dignity that most of us now realize they themselves deserved 30+ years ago. Their wounds may "never heal," but I'm inclined to think that most of them probably feel like they've been "vindicated," at least to some extent- especially after the recent election. John O'Neill recently said something like (heard it on a post-election Hannity show) "no group of Americans will ever be accused of being war criminals by the American people ever again," and I believe him. In any case, I greatly appreciate their service- just wanted to say that again.

America Speaks

I never meant for my last post to be some kind of "push for solidarity," but I've been absolutely overwhelmed by the reaction from you great Americans out there. Just look at the comments from my last post. I wish I could show you all the emails I received. People actually sent me pictures of their children holding up signs that said "We love you- come home safe!" I'm serious! If any of you could have been in my combat boots yesterday, I assure you- you would have been moved to tears. I shared some of the emails with my comrades, and I'm telling you they were genuinely affected by them. And truth be told- we get stuff like this ALL THE TIME. Thousands of drawings, cards, and packages. Not just from friends and family members- but also from strangers (thanks again to the "Angels" in Florida), school children, even some news reporters! Make no mistake- we live in an amazing country. There will never be another like it. Each and every day I'm out here, I'm reminded of how much our great nation is worth fighting for...

Thanks all- your unbelievable support does not go unappreciated. This is a team effort, and you are all certainly doing your part...

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

This guy needs to be on the air..everyday!! Go Blogosphere till then!!!

Anonymous said...

No. No sale for me. His offensive original email came from a different person entirely. He's a liar, and a slimey one at that. Please put a link to the original email so that new viewers of this can see for themselves.

Dorothy said...

Whew ... I agree with the other commenter. My impression of John Hockenberry isn't changed much by his insincere "apology." That first email of his is just nasty, nasty, nasty, not to mention extremely unprofessional.

TmjUtah said...

2Slick -

Discuss the nuance of quelling insurgency one day, deal with the pointy end of media the next.

What a country, eh? Rather, what a world...

You're on my blogroll. Be good, be safe, and thank you for all you do.

TmjUtah

docweasel said...

Isn't "toxic venom" redundant?

Anonymous said...

you did the right thing.
Thanks for everything.
Be safe

Anonymous said...

Hey, there's no reason to perpetuate hostility. But sometimes a slip reveals what you really think. The MSM is opposed to the Iraq War, that hasn't changed, and it will continue to show in their reporting.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't buy any self-serving story from CBA or any of those media ditto-heads. They're always so sincere and rational after they've stuck in a knife and it's too late or, as here, when they've been caught and need to save face.

We know their untrustworthiness; that spot will never change.

Jim Sweeney
Santa Monica

Anonymous said...

2Slick,

I think you BOTH handled this perfectly. Sure, Mr. H has a point of view that I entirely disagree with. But he did have the courage to publicly admit his mistake. I am still waiting for Mr. Rather to do the same. And you did the honorable thing and accepted. If anything, a non-hostile dialogue between our military people and the MSM could be very productive and help bridge the huge perception gaps that exist. Just my 2cents.

George

And in fairness to Mr. H, try visiting the Democraticunderground.com message board. Those moonbats really DO think the MSM is pimping for George Bush. Just don't stay to long, it will turn your brain to mush.

Firehand said...

I'd have to agree, wouldn't trust the 'apology'. The tone is just too much like someone who's getting a lot of heat, and decides to cover it up.

Anonymous said...

Is it not obvious that this apology is nothing more than a plea to stop the emails he has been getting? He called you ignorant and even denigrated you as 'enlisted', implying that all enlisted men over there are just doing time till they leave. (I find that especially disgusting. Enlisted men are the true heroes in our military, IMHO.) But once the Blog made it public what a jerk this guy is, hes all 'sorry, lets be pals'. It is not sincere.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, link to what got this all going.

(and prepare for an "instalanche")

Jim in Texas
CMSgt, USAF ret

Anonymous said...

I think our military folks are the perfect storm to deliver a little shock-and-awe to the MSM.

Anonymous said...

I read Hockenberry's second e-mail first, and I couldn't work out why you thought people wouldn't like your reply, then I read the original e-mail and I understood. Hockenberry's comments don't really appear to have come from a fit of pique, they truly look like his real attitude, possibly exposed by a fit of pique.
I would find that e-mail repugnant no matter who had written it, but to see those words coming from a newsman is deeply saddening.

As for his apology, I'm wondering if it would have been as forthcoming if it wasn't for blogs? The phenonomen of the blogosphere never ceases to amazes me, the power that it is wielding even in its infancy is simply astonishing, and it must be a frightening prospect for old media hacks to realize that never again will they be able to subtly use the their position as journalists as pseudo soapboxes (at least not with impunity)

Anonymous said...

Take the apology at face value. You did the right thing, but we should all still keep an eye on him.

Anonymous said...

I guess by "vilified," you meant "vindicated."

AST said...

I'm willing to give Hockenberry the benefit of the doubt. Time will tell. It's no more fair to assume that nobody from the MSM is redeemable than it is for them to stereotype everybody on the right.

That's one of my moral values. Forgive when someone apologizes.

Anonymous said...

His real name is "Dingleberry." You know where they are found.

Anonymous said...

Dear 2Slick, it is quite obvious that the response Mr. Hockenberry volunteered to your initial mass mailing, quite unnecessarily, represents the real man; his second email, also unnecessary, confirms that. His well-oiled apology is the patently the tactical retreat of a man who did not know that you had the power to make his disgraceful and condescending remarks public effectively.

Joan Didion once wrote, from her experience as a journalist, that journalists are always selling someone out. By all means cease to throw brickbats at Mr. Hockenberry -- you have nothing to gain from it -- but you would be a fool to view him in a light other than the one he one he displayed in his two initial remarks.

Fitzwilliam Darcy

Anonymous said...

Rat on!
~~Fizzwater Dingbat

Anonymous said...

COTTUS is right. Do not trust the MSM reporter. Period. They have proven themselves untrustworthy too many times. On the record.

Anonymous said...

Maybe your new good friend can explain "I ultimately think it was a bad campaign issue and had nothing to do with what kind of a president he might have been" in fact it appears that not a single thing that Kerry did in his life, senate voting record, war record, anti-war record, etc. had anything to do with what kind of a president he might have been. I am not sure why your friend gets to make that decision for us versus simply finding and sharing the facts...

Also, given that Kerry is 1. Contemplating another run in 2008 and 2. still in a position to do damage as a Senator (quite possibly for life, look at Kennedy...) that hs contention "That issues is quite moot after November 2nd." is not very accurate either.

Anonymous said...

2$lick-
Bcus here, just scanned over your blog and I enjoyed the exchanges with "JH the media guy". I liked how he related blogging to road rage. A true statement. Truth is, we could probably sit down and have a beer with the guy and have a good civil discussion, but blogging and driving are somewhat impersonal and people do things they otherwise wouldn't do if they were face to face with the object of their "rage". Kudos to both.
Speaking of having a beer.... when are you getting back? We are going to the hospital in the morning to have a baby. I was wishing it would have come on Nov. 11th, but no such luck. Thought it would have been cool to have our "post deployment" baby born on Vets day. The little guy or gal seems to enjoy where it is so the docs are inducing labor tomorrow. I will shoot you an email with pics when I can. Later. Bcus.

Anonymous said...

I am very glad to see that you got a response from Mr. Hockenberry, and that you and he have handled it like gentlemen. I was so disturbed by your situation (learned about it over the weekend) that I shot off an e-mail to Mr. Hockenberry this morning from work asking him to verify that the nasty missive was really from him. I just wanted confirmation before I unloaded on him.

Fortunately, that won't be necessary...I'll stand down. Good job, stay safe and God bless.

Regards,

Steven L. Carr
Cincinnati, OH

Anonymous said...

2Slick--
I remember John Hockenberry from NPR's Saturday Edition before his moving to NBC and found his reporting interesting and enlightening. He is an excellent reporter. I am not surprised at his apology. I am surprised at his initial rant, but I think you are right to bury the hatchet [someone please explain the meaning of that to me...]. Mr. Hockenberry has couragiously overcome severe physical difficulties of his own. He is no whimp. I think it's good you both have begun a dialogue. I believe you each are too rational and empathic not to have had.
2Slick: my prayers and best to you and your comrades.
--Carylyle'sDad

Anonymous said...

Cap'n,

Great work. Rantingprofs ( http://www.rantingprofs.typepad.com/rantingprofs ) also did some good work debunking the articles.

Thanks for what you do.

Chap.
http://www.gmapalumni.org/chapomatic

Anonymous said...

Whoah! Wha? Another lefty journalist who hates the military? And this guy's fairly ubiquitous on tv. This email reminds me of the email sent by that leftist professor to the ROTC kid. Whoops! Didn't really expect my opinion to circulate! But hey at least I didn't root for a million Mogadishus or profess my admiration for anyone who can bomb the Pentagon.
P.S. Has anyone called this guy "Hock-a-loogy" yet? Just wonderin'.

Bill Faith said...

Thank you for your service, Captain. Be safe.

Bill Faith
Viet Nam, '71-'72

2Slick said...

Hello All,

Wow, that was quite an "instalanche" that must have hit while I was sleeping last night. 40 comments? Great discussions, too. I understand the concern that many people still feel about him- I won't say that you're not entitled to harbor those kinds of feelings. I just think that a productive relationship (even with a member of the MSM!) is more valuable and effective than a destructive relationaship. Don't worry- nobody will be getting "screwed" here. We in the military live by that old saying "trust but verify"- and I'm with the anonymous poster who said:

Take the apology at face value. You did the right thing, but we should all still keep an eye on him.I agree 100%. Think about it- if he's covering a war-related story, don't you think he's now going to be extra careful to avoid any propagandist or dishonest tendancies? I think he will. And if he doesn't- we'll be watching and we all know this is out there now. I think Mr. Hockenberry might very well be the first MSM "player" to fully understand the power of the blogosphere and the "new" set of rules that now exist in the land of journalism. I'm still shocked by his apology- especially the contrite manner in which it was given. I mean, in my eyes that's courageous no matter how you slice it.

Bcus, I want pictures as soon as the baby arrives- our thoughts are with you guys...

Thanks to Amy P. for reminding me that I was not an English major: "I guess by "vilified," you meant "vindicated." Right on, Amy- it's been corrected- thanks for the tip.

Thanks to Bardettespy and Redleg5 for "taking care of mama."

Thanks to everyone for coming by and offering your thoughts and perspectives. The bottom line (and the reason this whole thing happened) is we gotta watch out for our brave troops who are out there right now fighting the good fight. On behalf of all of them, I thank you for your suppport...

johnh said...

You handled this with class--and better than I would have.

Keep punching.

Anonymous said...

You did good 2slick. With your direct communication access to Mockenberry the next time he writes a nasty article about the military (which he will), you'll be able to contact him and have him explain why he's still bad-mouthing our troops.

Gary B.

Anonymous said...

"hold your friends close, and your enemies closer".
Sometimes people do come around especially when it is in their best interest to do so.

Thank you for the work you are doing both on the ground and in the sphere.

Come home safe, sane and welcomed.

Brian,
a crappy ex-guardsman from years ago slowly getting around to growing up.

Anonymous said...

Our families prayers are with you and all of our men and women serving. I'm a retired US Army CW3, who started a 23 year career as an enlisted medic in RVN.
Many folks simply do not understand the wounds John Kerry inflicted on us. This was a very personal issue which he chose to reopen on his "war hero" platform.

Vindicated? I don't know. I do know that the band of brothers I served with are courageous and will stand up for what is right. I am proud to have served my country for 23 years... and I'm proud to call those serving today my brothers.

Matthew said...

Mr. Hockenberry seems to be a good person, and Cap. 2Slick did accuse him of peddling lies, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe his apology.

He certainly turned on a dime and demonstrated an ability to apologize in a humble way. That is a very good response, no matter what his motivations may be. Hopefully this exchange will make him a more fair-minded reporter.

As for Captain 2Slick, hearty congratulations for provoking this blog-storm, and for having the cojones to attack a potential Commander-in-Chief with such appropriate vigor. Thank you very much!

slarrow said...

2Slick, you've done this man a service. I think it's clear that he'd insulated himself from his subject too much and had begun treating the real men and women he covered as ciphers to be placed in the stories he was writing. Someone who claimed to be so surprised at the tone of your remarks towards Kerry, it seems to me, hadn't been spending enough time with real soldiers.

Perhaps reporters can get away with living in a bubble when at home or reporting on domestic issues, but they certainly can't when on the ground in a war zone. You've done this guy a favor, and he might be starting to come around. But the bubble is oh-so-comfortable, so keep your eye on him; y'all don' need no backslidden j-type bein' yore face in th' werld (to end with a little colloquial language there.)