...of how the "new media" runs circles around the dinosaurs of the traditional press. Over the past year, this blog has devoted several posts to the threat posed by shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles, most recently this column, published last December. We noted the widespread proliferation of these weapons, and the lack of missile defense systems on most commercial aircraft. While the Israelis have already outfitted their passenger jets with protective systems, the U.S. is still weighing the issue. At a cost of roughly $1 million per aircraft, it won't be cheap, but it may be more affordable than the alternative: the successful downing of a domestic passenger jet, the loss of all souls onboard, and a likely death spiral for one--or more--of the major carriers.
Two months later, ABC News joins the fray, with its own report on the man-portable SAM threat from ace investigative reporter Brian Ross. Mr. Ross is supposedly one of the best in the business, and I applaud him for tackling the story. But you'll note a number of similarities between Ross's report, and our blog entry from December. And remember--you read it here first. Of course, we didn't ask Barbara Boxer for her thoughts on the issue, but then again, we try to eliminate the fluff from our reporting.
Providing story ideas and angles for the MSM is one of the many services we provide in this forum. Keep checking back, Brian; I'm sure we can come up with something else you can use.
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