>Just a few observations that I have made as regards report from embedded reporters used by CNN (most are CNN staff, but they do cut to others from time-to-time).
>I've been home all day these last few weeks, with CNN or CBC on for war reporting all day long.
>
>1) Though portrayed as 'live' you don't usually see 'live' stated on the screen and I have seen/heard the exact same reports several times each time being left to the viewer to figure out the liveness or not.

I just heard one live (apparently the videophone is not working due to the sandstorm) with Rick Leventhal talking to Greta Sustren (sp?) on Fox News. It said live in the corner, and the 2 were talking to each other in the middle of her show.

>2) The reporter ALWAYS [repeat: ALWAYS] have a military person standing off-camera. They don't want you to know this, but sometimes they slip up and make it evident.

I have seen the military people there. The reporters, such as David Bloom (MSNBC I think), interview them. I just saw an interview with a group of soldiers fixing a Bradley fighting vehicle.

>Finally, by now virtually every embedded reporter has become a cheer-leader for the group s/he is attached to. A perfectly natural and normal human reaction under such circumstances, but HARDLY providing factual and UNbiased reportage.

David Bloom reported that although the supplies of the troops he was with weren't critical, they were getting low.

>Embedding truly is a HUGE propaganda coup for the military and for the coalition itself.

Jim, if the U.S. military didn't allow embedding, you would claim that they are hiding something. Now that they do, you think it's for propaganda. The reporters are going to report what they see. They may not be able to report it all at the time due to security reasons, but when this war is over, you will hear there stories, good and bad.