Pointed Questions on Iraq Often Come from 'The People,' Not the Press

[WhiteTara]

When it comes to really putting Bush and Rumsfeld on the spot, why did a comedian, a former general, a rock star, an ex-CIA analyst and an average citizen in North Carolina, go where reporters often fear to tread?

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002463525

By Greg Mitchell

(May 05, 2006) -- For centuries, The Press acted as surrogate for The People. Now, at least in regard to the Iraq war, the reverse often seems to be true.

While reporters and commentators continue to tiptoe around the question of whether Bush administration officials, right up to the president, deliberately misled the nation into the war, average and not-so-average citizens have raised the charge of “lies” and caused a stir usually reserved for reporters. Is America, or just my own head, about to explode over Iraq?


The latest example of citizen journalism occurred Thursday, with former CIA analyst Ray McGovern’s persistent questioning of Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld at a forum in Atlanta. CNN’s Anderson Cooper, interviewing McGovern later, told him he had gone where most reporters had failed to tread. Whether Anderson meant this as self-criticism was impossible to tell.

snip

Still, it would be nice to see reporters following ex-CIA analyst McGovern's example on Thursday, directing chapter-and-verse examples of misleading statements, or downright lies, at Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney and others (beyond Tony Snow) whenever they get a chance. Certainly, every poll shows that the American public is behind them on this--or should I say, ahead of them?

Now it will be fun to watch the media reaction to the CD release of the Neil Young anti-Bush broadside next week. A Washington Post music critic has already weighed in with a pan, declaring, bizarrely, “the urgency is somewhat strange, given that the album doesn't appear to be inspired by any recent events.”

more...great article

[MadMaddie]

1. Well the People have no need for the MSM in the state that it's in.

I would like to see more ordinary...everyday people do the same....We need to let the MSM know that we will do the job since they are not capable of doing it..

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

2. Ordinary Americans doing the jobs American Reporters won't do?

It'd be funny if it wasn't so god damn tragic. The deaths on all sides.
Horrid.

[stillcool]

3. excellent article...

the media is right here...at my fingertips.I didn't know Neil Young's dad was a news-man! Occasionally, breaking news is linked back to one of the corp-whores...but, for the most part...anything of use to me in navigating reality comes from the net. I do not want the current network news propagandists to ever recover from their betrayal. I want them obsolete now. Fade to black...please.