All the news that's fit to print

That was - and may still be - the slogan of the New York Times. But a recent Frontline program causes me to question it. The program aired in February and analyzed the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia. I just saw it today. Although somewhat too long, the program was interesting and reasonably comprehensive. The item that really caught my eye was the adulation and praise heaped on Saddam Hussein by the average Iraqi at the time of his execution. I and several of my friends could not recall any such demonstrations recorded in the media. Yes, the media has become less open in this century. But I would have thought that the praise of Saddam by his subjects would have been truly newsworthy.