A reporter speaks out about the Iraq war and news coverage

[kpete]

A reporter speaks out about the Iraq war and news coverage
COMMENTARY | August 06, 2007
Sig Christenson of the San Antonio Express-News ridicules comments by politicians, laments the lack of reporters covering the war, and cites ground rules that are crippling for photojournalists. He says the media aren’t pressing for answers to vital and obvious questions, such as what plans the Pentagon has for an exit strategy.

By Sig Christenson
[e-mail]

Call it a Katrina Moment, the hour where unbelievable lies passed off as official truth and slander against journalists sparks spontaneous outrage in the ranks.

..................

No Iraqi could be any further from Indiana. And nothing in Iraq is normal, except death. I blew a gasket in my Green Zone compound. It wasn’t just that these politicians were trying to turn the media into Swiss cheese again. It wasn’t that they were shamelessly trying to score points with their base. Nope, it was their galling dishonesty.

Everybody knows there’s a war on in Iraq. What they don’t realize is there are actually four wars – the one to defeat insurgents and terrorists, another to win support for America’s occupation among a majority of Iraqis and yet a third for hearts and minds among the president’s supporters in the United States.

The fourth is a war for reporters and editors: It is to find and report the truth while staying alive to file another day in Iraq. If we lose this war, you lose, too. Instead of seeing Iraq as it is, you’ll see it the way someone with an agenda wants.

much more:
http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=background.view&backgroundid=00199

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Thanks for posting this

[KoKo]

2. And...lack of coverage is causing an Uptick in Bush's approval on the Surge...

USA Today poll has Americans thinking Bush's "Surge" is working because I noticed that the Cables in particular seem to have stopped covering the death and bombings of civilians there. There was an incident north of Baghdad where our troops opened fire on Iraqi's who were guarding their houses. Killed women and children. A bomb in northern Iraq went off killing more women and children.

They aren't reporting because AT ALL COSTS they MUST GET BUSH POLL numbers up!

[ellenfl]

3. k&r eom