Monday, November 29, 2004

WorkingForChange-Thanksgiving in Iraq

WorkingForChange-Thanksgiving in Iraq

Characteristically, American media has yet to fully catch up to the latest bad news from Iraq. And, so, while American media focused on the recent U.S. blitz on Fallujah, the political and military fallout from that offensive hasn't gotten nearly the play it deserves. Put simply: Iraqi anger over the flattening of Fallujah, and the creation of a refugee population of the survivors among its 400,000 residents, not only threatens the January elections, but has turned virtually every corner of Iraq into an insurgent hotbed.

Sunday, November 28, 2004

Shoot the Messenger

Shoot the Messenger

Shoot the Messenger
When Darrin Mortenson, a former embed for a California paper, defended the NBC reporter who videotaped a U.S. Marine in Fallujah shooting an injured insurgent, he got a lot of hate mail. "Go back to Iraq with a target on your back," wrote one.

By Greg Mitchell

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Open Letter to Devil Dogs of the 3.1  

Kevin Sites Blog

Since the shooting in the Mosque, I've been haunted that I have not been able to tell you directly what I saw or explain the process by which the world came to see it as well. As you know, I'm not some war zone tourist with a camera who doesn't understand that ugly things happen in combat. I've spent most of the last five years covering global conflict. But I have never in my career been a 'gotcha' reporter -- hoping for people to commit wrongdoings so I can catch them at it.

Friday, November 19, 2004

Road Rules for Surviving on the Streets of Baghdad

Road Rules for Surviving on the Streets of Baghdad

On a day a car bomb hits a police station, never travel alone and never stop, a reporter learns.

By John Hendren, Times Staff Writer

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

BBC - Press Office - Richard Sambrook Poliak lecture

BBC - Press Office - Richard Sambrook Poliak lecture:

"I am going to talk about the idea of objectivity in journalism, the pressures it is under now, the changing face of news organisations, the views and concerns of the audience, and finally suggest some ways that journalists and news rooms might re-claim the idea of objectivity for the 21st century. "

Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma

Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma

The blame for the news media's failures in covering the Bush administration and the war in Iraq lies mainly with the top editors at national news outlets, say acclaimed reporters Seymour Hersh and Jonathan Schell.

Friday, November 12, 2004

NewsDissector.org | The Dissector's Daily Blog

NewsDissector.org | The Dissector's Daily Blog

Murder seems to be the mandate as our re-elected President spends "political capital" with the lives of young soldiers. One article I read spoke of this escalation of the war a "faith based massacre." Perhaps it's just the big-bang start of Allawi's presidential campaign or maybem as the EU chief suggests, a pretext for ending elections unlikely to go "our" way.

Electronic Iraq's Dahr Jamail reminds us "The US and British governments, along with the US-installed Iraqi interim government have rejected an appeal made by Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the UN, who warned that attacking Falluja would jeopardize the elections slated for January in Iraq."

BBC reports this AM: "It is estimated there could be tens of thousands of civilians still in Falluja. The BBC's Paul Wood, embedded with US soldiers -- and whose reporting is subject to military restrictions -- says US-led forces are having to fight every step of the way."

WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception - Flash Video

WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception - Flash Video

Media For Democracy 2004 | Take Action: Networks Return to the Front, and to TV Group Think

Media For Democracy 2004 | Take Action: Networks Return to the Front, and to TV Group Think

Judging from the reporting that has accompanied the bloodletting in Fallujah, it appears that -- in the words of West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd -- the media have, once again, bought into the Pentagon war narrative "hook, line and sinker."

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly . INTERVIEW . Chris Hedges . January 31, 2003 | PBS

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly . INTERVIEW . Chris Hedges . January 31, 2003 | PBS: "Harvard"

Read more of Bob Abernethy's interview with NEW YORK TIMES reporter Chris Hedges, author of WAR IS A FORCE THAT GIVES US MEANING:

When you ask a democracy to go to war, the state is required to give evidence to the citizens that there is a credible and real threat against them, and that, therefore, their sons and daughters should be put in a situation in which they could be killed. I think that is a minimum in a democracy.

Monday, November 08, 2004

Dart Centre | Europe

Dart Centre | Europe

"What you shoot, what you film and see can't just be forgotten easily. These pictures go home with you, stay in your mind, in your dreams." -Nael Shyoukhri

Saturday, November 06, 2004

FAIR ACTION ALERT:

FAIR ACTION ALERT:

The Bush administration's long-running attempts to link Iraq and Al Qaeda were dealt a serious blow when the September 11 commission's June 16 interim report indicated that there did not appear to be a "collaborative relationship" between Iraq and Osama bin Laden, and that there was no evidence that Iraq was involved in the September 11 attacks.

But if you were watching the Fox News Channel, you saw something very different, as the conservative cable network eagerly defended the Bush administration and criticized the rest of the media for mishandling the story.

Media Reporting, Journalism and Propaganda

Media Reporting, Journalism and Propaganda

by Anup Shah

The war on Iraq, however swift in its short three week period, was accompanied by propaganda from many angles. From the ridiculous claims of the Iraqi information minister that the Americans will surrender or perish, or that they were nowhere near Baghdad (while coalition tanks could be heard just a mile from where he said that!) to the subtle propaganda of Coalition nations' media, that at times minimized the civilian casualties, highlighted the awesome military force of the coalition, minimized geopolitical discussion and context, and often jumped at unconfirmed reports as confirmed news.

Under the Gun in Fallouja

Under the Gun in Fallouja

Some of the remaining residents willingly help rebels. Others fear them and want them out.

By Alissa J. Rubin, Times Staff Writer

FALLOUJA, Iraq — This rebel city's broad boulevards are empty now, the mosques thinly attended even for Friday prayers. Save for those too poor, too old or too sick to leave, Fallouja has been left to the insurgents and the Marines who vow to crush them.