what do you think of this?

[Furball]

Was taking a flick through of the english al jazeera website which was linked here; and stumbled across this.  What do you think? agree? disagree?

al jazeera

[ra]

With regard to the US military using journalists for their own purposes, that is fine with me.   There is nothing that requires the military to cooperate with the press during military operations.  If the military uses the press as a disinformation source, more power to them.  If I want balance I'll listen to al Jazeera or Bahgdad Bob.  Or the BBC.

ra

[Jester]

Wonder what ever happened to "Bagdad Bob?"

That guy was a HOOT!  

They need to give him his own talk show once the war is over. This guy could give Springer a real run for his money.

[storch]

Does anyone recall how President Reagan handled the press during the invasion of Grenada?

[xrtoronto]

Originally posted by ra
If I want balance I'll listen to al Jazeera or Bahgdad Bob.  Or the BBC.

ra

the man who wrote that article published in al jazzera that furball has linked is a university profesor in Texas...link

[Sandman]

Good read... IMHO.

[Nash]

It's basically a summary of things decent journalists have been saying for a couple of years now.

I'm getting pissed off at the whole lot frankly.

[-tronski-]

Originally posted by Sandman
Good read... IMHO.

Agreed

 Tronsky

[Rino]

Originally posted by Nash
It's basically a summary of things decent journalists have been saying for a couple of years now.

I'm getting pissed off at the whole lot frankly.

     I truly believe there is no such thing as a decent journalist
anymore.  Integrity comes a poor second to money and fame
every time these days.

     I do wonder who appointed the media as "watchdogs" of
government though?  I don't want the media to form opinions,
I'd like a nice dry statement of facts.  Of course. they would
still screw this up as the facts that were inconvenient would
be omitted or spun.

     Anyone who thinks we get straight answers from either the
government or the media are seriously deluded.

[storch]

Originally posted by Rino
I truly believe there is no such thing as a decent journalist
anymore.  Integrity comes a poor second to money and fame
every time these days.

     I do wonder who appointed the media as "watchdogs" of
government though?  I don't want the media to form opinions,
I'd like a nice dry statement of facts.  Of course. they would
still screw this up as the facts that were inconvenient would
be omitted or spun.

     Anyone who thinks we get straight answers from either the
government or the media are seriously deluded.

Hear Hear!!

[GRUNHERZ]

Nice article he makes some ok pints...

My question about the article is where are the solutions?  He has many criticizms but few suggestions.  He says embedding is bad beacuse the jounalists become friendly with the troops. So what is his proposal?  We know that media pools in GW1 were criticized for cutting people off from the action and for censoring. But he doesnt suggest an alternative? Maybe independant journalst teams driving jeeps in the middle of the desert? Three guesses what would be said at the first mistaken identity and the 20th?

Then he saysys that US juornalists, apparently even the very the very critical anti-war ones, are far too enthralled and biased with the USA and the traditional centrality of US values of democracy and freedom. So then what? No american journalists? Or maybe he wants journalists biased against the usa? Should nbc hire baghdad bob?  Of course again the author does not suggest a solution.

Cheap journalism. Any dimwit can just list off problems and concerns, and especially so on a piece to such a one sided  propaganda laden  site as al jazera.

[storch]

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ
Nice article he makes some ok pints...

My question about the article is where are the solutions?  He has many criticizms but few suggestions.  He says embedding is bad beacuse the jounalists become friendly with the troops. So what is his proposal?  We know that media pools in GW1 were criticized for cutting people off from the action and for censoring. But he doesnt suggest an alternative? Maybe independant journalst teams driving jeeps in the middle of the desert? Three guesses what would be said at the first mistaken identity and the 20th?

Then he saysys that US juornalists, apparently even the very the very critical anti-war ones, are far too enthralled and biased with the USA and the traditional centrality of US values of democracy and freedom. So then what? No american journalists? Or maybe he wants journalists biased against the usa? Should nbc hire baghdad bob?  Of course again the author does not suggest a solution.

Cheap journalism. Any dimwit can just list off problems and concerns, and especially so on a piece to such a one sided  propaganda laden  site as al jazera.

The answer to that couldn't be plainer, he's a liberal.  Any suggestions he might have would work about as well as a screen door on a submarine.

[Engine]

The last time I remember American journalists doing their job was in the week immediately following 9/11.  After that, it was right back to sensationalist rating stories again.  Pathetic.