I don't feel particular isolated, since I am German and always read German Media as well I get quite a different view (not mentioning the BBC that gets my ear on occasion).
However... I feel very disappointed by the German Media, which I sort of always knew to be objective covering things as they are. Sadly these days it is quite different. Everything has a slant to-wards the sarcastic and bad, whatever the US is doing.
For example: The embedded Reporters
Anyone with half a brain knows or can figure out simple facts about them:
- No... they can not tell you where they are, that would be dumb!
No... they won't show particular gruesome pictures, that would be bad publicity!
Yes, they are admitted by the unit commanders to show only certain things... maybe even things to benefit the view of the US
Major reason however that they are there is: TO MAKE SURE MEDIA SEES FIRST HAND WHAT THE DO AND DON'T DO. How they treat the people there and how they are treaded. If there was no camera present when prisoners are taken all sorts of weird claims wold fly from the lying mouth of the "Information" Minister in Baghdad.
The Military uses the Journalists in a give and take. The Journalist are there as "Independent Eyewitnesses" and in exchange the get a story for whomever they work for. I think that was a very smart choice.
German Media portrays them as sort of a slave Media of the Goverment... which is far far from the truth. But what can you expect from a newspaper that calls Tony Blair, Bushes Puppy Dog visiting his master.
Make no mistake about it... the whole propaganda issue will play a crucial role with things to come. I hope the US can get more of their view across Al Jazeira... since that seems to be the only network at has credibility in the Arab world.