Disciplining Reporters

Oh the things I'm learning about George Gordon Meade. This book that I'm reading is a bit fascinating. Apparently the thing about Historicus is heresay only. So, I'm still correct in my thoughts that no one knows who Historicus is. But I learned something new today in my reading. I'm no scholar on Meade which is why I'm reading this book....to learn a few things...and today I learned a new fact. Did you know that Meade disciplined a reporter who gave him an unfavorable review and ALL reporters got even with him?

By this time in the war, U.S. Grant had taken over control of all the armies of the north. He was traveling with Meade and the Army of the Potomac. So in June of 1864 a reporter by the name of Edward Cropsey started traveling with the army. Cropsey sent an article to his paper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, about the army stating that Meade was no longer in charge but Grant was....which was untrue. Grant gave Meade the overall plan....Meade implimented that plan. This is not unlike the way it was prior to Grant's promotion. This reporter got it all wrong and made Meade look like the bad guy for all the failures of the Army of the Potomac. Meade sent word to Gen. Halleck, who was still in Washington, about this whole situation and Halleck told Meade not to worry about it....they weren't paying any attention to what was being said in the newspapers. Meade should have left things go at this....but he didn't.

Meade was angry. He came up with a plan and while he was starting to impliment it, he let Grant know what he was planning. Apparently Grant just nodded in agreement. So Meade went on with his plan: He got two placards and placed them on the front and back of this reporter (for the life of me, I can't remember exactly what they said, but in essense they said that this man was a liar) and then sat him backwards on a horse. Then to parade him around the camps, they got a drummer and a bugler to lead the way. Humiliating in the least, I would say.

When word spread out amongst all the other reporters about what had happened (did anyone say "freedom of the press"?????), they banded together and decided that from that moment on they wouldn't give Meade any further press unless it was bad press. If something bad happened to the Army of the Potomac, Meade would be blamed, if something good happened to the army, Grant would get the credit. Meade was unaware of this and when he found out, he was livid.

Now, I like Meade, but I feel that he was dead wrong in this instance. Yes, reporters should get their facts straight. Yes, they should make sure they put the blame where it belongs and not just place it wherever they want. Yes, they should be held accountable for wrong facts. NO, Meade did not have the right to punish this man.

First of all, when Meade told Halleck about this report, Halleck told him to ignore it, as Washington was ignoring it. Second, there is a thing in the Constitution called freedom of the press. Now, I'm not stupid, if reporters are giving out false information, they need to be called on it. If it comes down to name calling or injuring a person's career, let the courts take care of it. If Meade really wanted to punish this guy, then he should have kicked him out of the army and told the newspaper that he didn't want him anywhere near the army....or face arrest. What Meade did to this man was unnecessary but creative. Its really kind of funny when you stop and think about it....and this man will forever be known as the guy who Meade punished.....and it was completely wrong. Sometimes we let our emotions get the best of us....and in this instance, Meade let his emotions get the best of him. But they didn't call him "Old Snapping Turtle" for nothing.