The 'T' Word

" Coming to us from killing Texas -- where officials at Fort Hood army base say seven people are dead and twelve wounded in what appears to be. A mass shooting at a facility there are ten dawn on the national -- down in the newsroom is working this story Tim when it last."

" Fox News coverage of the Fort -- massacre last week details about the suspects were quick to surface. But most of the media were hesitant to link major -- has on his Muslim faith. And the murders as a terrorist act even several days after the attack. -- poll asked Americans how they felt about the murders of -- hood. The poll last should -- shooting incident be investigated by military authorities as a terrorist act or by civilian authorities as a criminal act. 60% said military authorities should investigated as a terrorist act. 27% thought it should be investigated as a criminal act 13%. Not sure. The culture and media institute noticed something about the news coverage until President Obama spoke on Tuesday at a memorial service for the victims of the Fort -- attacks. 29%. Of evening news reports mention that major need all Malik -- was a Muslim. 93%. Of the stories ignored any terror connection. But after the president hinted at what ABC called Islamic extremist views all three networks mentioned terrorism. 85% of the stories on the broadcast networks did not mention the word terror. ABC CBS and NBC evening news reference terrorism connections to the Fort -- attack. Just seven times in 48 reports. Cal you wrote about this this week was there -- hesitancy on the on the part of the networks on the part of the media. To call this terrorism."

" Without question John every time I write on this subject I get a slew of mail -- syndicate gets a slew of male calling you bigoted calling Islam a full. Most people can't put up with that sort of thing I relish and I'm happy to have it. But there's a double standard in the media back in the 1980s when the so called religious right the conservative Christians. I came up in the political system. The media said cameras to their churches they stereotype little old ladies man driving pickup trucks. They they labeled them ultra right extreme right fundamentalists they didn't care about labeling them but now its hands off no cameras in the mosques no labeling of Islamic extremists beyond that word a terrible double standard."

" Judy you seem to have a different that you -- both the left and the right are getting this story wrong we mean right now. Basically you have exactly the phenomenon callous talking about on the on the part of -- left in Psycho babble that really substitutes. For reported -- And no mention of terror -- the right you have another phenomenon which is this insidious slide. From major -- song. As -- Muslims into. Criticizing and fears about. Islam as a religion I think we had to -- we -- a little of that enough -- that in the media to be very concerned this --"

" Well and then there were some in the media who will make this -- a victim. Like -- Kerry Smith for example on CBS who was one of hundreds of reporters in the MS and -- that it stressed it's PT SD the poor guy. And if it was unbelievable but of course again as always -- segment in true. Alluded to. They take their cues from Obama Obama said at Fort Hood it's quote incomprehensible. What happened well George knew Meyer at the Americans spectators that no actually it's. Perfectly comprehensible the guy was getting. Ideas -- not orders from some killer in Yemen."

" If there are reports that he was harassed on the job because of his Muslim faith now you know again and I have a summit West Point my experience with the military is. If you're not doing well at your job you're gonna get harassed and that seems to be the case here. But but why why has the media be and I guess dancing around the -- why."

" They were initially dancing around it and I and I actually would applaud the media the way that they they reacted to it which was do you -- war. With a more -- street -- with more restraint to not jumping to conclusions when it first. Came out whereas I had a lot of -- on the right emailing me insane when you go on air make sure that you say this is. -- terrorist attack and it's like. Let's wait and get all the information and -- more information I think you can start to put together a case but when you. What that initial information was that he'd been killed the initial information was that he was killed by this woman who turned that didn't kill him I mean -- a lot of this information and I think it's better show restraint. Into you have actual information. Which we now have about about these connections and then make -- I've."

" to a point but there were several hosts including Shepard Smith who's played very well be a very good on this network. Who said on the air we know the man's name but we're going to withhold it. For basically reasons known only to ourselves we know the reason because it is Arab sounding its Muslim sounding. And nobody wanted to be the first to put that out there. That's the kind of restraint that we're seeing on this. Restraint is a good thing as secure and says when you don't have the fact. We remember after Reagan shot people reporting that Jim Brady was dead when he wasn't -- so that kind of restraint is good but when -- got the facts let's put him out there about. --"

" So on the first day we knew. That he had yelled Allah lock box is great -- he gunned down people automatically send something. About his get out -- anticipated believed he could just as -- been a crazy lunatic who snapped out that and yes he may get -- lightening and my name is not -- I couldn't really easily -- lives except for the fact that you saying -- or yeah. All right now you know you could be crazy -- can and cannot do not want to -- I don't think -- he's you know that's another story."