The Lead Story

Trey Smith

What is the bread-and-butter of local TV news departments? Crime -- and violent crime at that. If there has been a murder or unexplained death ANYWHERE in western Washington, you can be certain -- barring some other news of national or international importance -- that it will be THE lead story of any nightly newscast on Seattle-area stations.

We will be told as much as is known about the victim. We will be told as much as is known about the circumstances and the location. We will be told as much as is known about the alleged assailant. We will be told about the police investigation. In subsequent days, there will be follow-ups to put more meat into the story and to show us the human side of the victim and his/her family.

What if the local US media covered the "inadvertent" deaths by drone of Afghani individuals and families in the same manner? Would that allow American to see the faces of the faceless others?

As it is, when incidents of this nature even are mentioned at all, it's just in passing. Echoing government propaganda, we're told that all the people killed from this or that drone strike were militants or terrorists. Every now and again, we might learn that some of the dead are civilians...but we rarely, if ever, learn their names or much of anything about them.

But what if these deaths -- murders? -- were covered like we cover local killings? Might Americans come to better understand the blood on all of our hands?