On The Media - Iraq & Middle East

Standard Bearers (On The Media)

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:39 GMT

New Yorker staff writer Philip Gourevitch and filmmaker Errol Morris spent two years investigating the motivations of the soldiers in the infamous Abu Ghraib prison photos for a documentary and book, both called Standard Operating Procedure. Gourevitch explains that the “bad apples” rationale doesn’t hold water.

Taking Fire (On The Media)

Mon, 19 May 2008 20:03 GMT

In last week’s clashes in Beirut, Hezbollah targeted the headquarters of the Al Mustaqbal television station and newspaper. But this wasn’t a simple case of media suppression. Rami Khouri, editor at large at the Daily Star in Lebanon, explains the political significance of the attacks.

Instruments of War (On The Media)

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:17 GMT

As reported in The New York Times last weekend, CNN, MSNBC, NPR and others have turned, again and again, to military analysts – retired members of the armed forces hired by broadcast and cable networks – for their supposed expertise on the war. Only, it turns out, the analysts were often coached by the Pentagon in what the Times said were “hundreds of private briefings.” Among those named was Maj. Robert Bevelacqua, a former Green Beret and Fox News contributor through 2005. Bevelacqua discusses his own role in the march to war.

Battlefield Ethics (On The Media)

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:46 GMT

AP photographer Bilal Hussein has been held by U.S. authorities for two years on allegations that he had ties to Iraqi insurgents. This week, an Iraqi committee ordered Hussein to be freed, though U.S. authorities still haven't announced their plans for him. In the meantime, Bob asks you: To whom and what should a reporter be loyal? Their news organization? The story? The audience? Their country?
:::TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:::

Iraq’s New Journalism (On The Media)

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:38 GMT

Embedded correspondents have mostly fled the barracks in Iraq, leaving the burden of documenting the war to the brave few un-embedded. But whereas Western reporters could once travel freely, they now often rely on Iraqi "fixers" to bring the reporting to them. This is the story of three of those fixers, pulled into journalism by a trick of fate.

5 Years of Covering Iraq (On The Media)

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:31 GMT

On the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War, the death toll for U.S. soldiers approaches 4,000 and the cost moves past a half-trillion dollars. Press coverage, however, is at an all-time low.

::: :: : OTM'S IRAQ WAR TIMELINE : :: :::

OTM takes a look at the crucial role of media in the evolution of this war. Greg Mitchell, editor of Editor & Publisher and author of So Wrong for So Long, takes us back to the early days of combat.

The Embed Experiment (On The Media)

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:53 GMT

More than a quarter million American soldiers were deployed at the start of the Iraq War, but they weren't alone. Nearly 800 reporters, prepped for the battlefield and assigned to military units, embedded with the military. NPR's John Burnett was one of them.

Stagecrafting the War (On The Media)

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:10 GMT

From Colin Powell’s U.N. address in 2003 to the faked rescue of Private Jessica Lynch to the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statue in Firdos Square, the past five years of war have seen many attempts at stagecraft. Bob looks back at a few of those moments and weighs in on the symbiosis of government deception and media credulousness.

Finding A Voice (On The Media)

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:36 GMT

From Al Jazeera to soldier bloggers to home-grown Iraqi journalists, powerful voices emerged from the rubble of the Iraq War and captured the attention of the world.

Mission Impossible (On The Media)

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:59 GMT

President Bush returned this week from the Middle East, where he toured with a three-point agenda: peace, Iran and oil. According to The Week's Susan Caskie, editorials from the region were all in agreement – thumbs down.

Tale of the Tapes (On The Media)

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:02 GMT

Both Iran and the U.S. released doctored videos recently of a January 6th confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz. The Washington Post's Bill Arkin says the awkwardly produced videos, plus a prankster called the ‘Filipino monkey,’ have overshadowed the real story in the media.

First One In (On The Media)

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:29 GMT

As the Iraq War got underway, Nicholas Kulish experienced it first-hand as an embedded reporter for The Wall Street Journal. But his novel, Last One In, takes a less journalistic approach and instead tells the story of a gossip columnist turned embedded war correspondent on the front lines in Iraq.

The Blog of War (On The Media)

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:25 GMT

Controversies erupted recently, at both the liberal New Republic and conservative National Review Online, involving soldiers-turned-writers whose work contained now-admitted inaccuracies. Military historian Robert Bateman weighs in on the history of war stories as told by warriors.

Number Theory (On The Media)

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:01 GMT

For the past few months, the number of both Iraqi civilian and U.S. military casualties has dropped significantly. The numbers don't add up to victory yet, but some criticize the media for failing to report the trend. Bob takes a look at the coverage.

The Other Iraq (On The Media)

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:03 GMT

Turkey’s vote this week, to allow military incursions into Iraqi Kurdistan, comes amid growing tensions between Turkey, the U.S. and Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurds. The World’s Middle East correspondent Quil Lawrence explains that Iraqi Kurdistan has waged a long public relations campaign to brand itself as “the other Iraq.”

Open Secret (On The Media)

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:19 GMT

On September 6th Israel launched secret air strikes against Syria. Or did they? Over three weeks later none of the governments reportedly involved, Israel, the U.S. or Syria, have officially confirmed the action, much less the details. Keith Richburg, foreign editor of The Washington Post, explains how hard it is to report on a secret.

Demagogues in New York (On The Media)

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:31 GMT

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the most visible dignitary to address the United Nations this week. Columbia University Professor Edward Luck explains that Ahmadinejad is part of a long list of demagogues who have turned their U.N. address into a theatrical production.

Backward Glances (On The Media)

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:57 GMT

During a speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention last month, President Bush invoked a host of historical analogies to buttress his case for sticktoitiveness in Iraq. But what can we really learn from looking at Vietnam or Cambodia or Korea? Brooke dwells on the past.

Offense Taken (On The Media)

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:44 GMT

This week brought the long-awaited congressional testimony from General David Patraeus. Subsequent chatter centered on Iraq War policy, but a sub-narrative emerged in the media: should Democrats condemn a MoveOn.org advertisement? MoveOn's Tom Mattzie defends the controversial ad.

Attack Ads (On The Media)

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:30 GMT

Stories this week about the Iraq War policy debate sat next to others about the anniversary of September 11th. A more deliberate attempt to link the anniversary and the war came in a series of TV spots from the conservative group Freedom’s Watch. Founding member Ari Fleischer defends the controversial ads.

The Sound of Pain (On The Media)

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:58 GMT

U.S. detainee accounts of waterboarding, temperature extremes and sleep deprivation have reinvigorated the legal and political debate over what constitutes torture. But writer David Peisner describes another all too common U.S. interrogation tool - popular music. He explains the history and application of sonic suffering.

Iraq on Trial (On The Media)

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:02 GMT

This week in Baghdad began another crimes-against-humanity trial for 15 flunkies of Saddam Hussein, accused in the massacre of Shia in the wake of the first Gulf War. Journalist Christopher Hanson says that – amid the euphoria of military triumph - the story was undercovered at the time, leaving the question of culpability a murky one.

Goodbye to All That (On The Media)

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 22:18 GMT

Frances Harrison was the BBC bureau chief in Tehran for three years, during which time Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s regime instated a harsh crackdown on journalists and Iranian citizens. Harrison completed her post recently and reflects on her time there.

The Voice of the Insurgency (On The Media)

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 21:37 GMT

Iraqi insurgent groups are mostly shadowy bands of nationalist or Islamist factions from whom we never hear, except in internet posts. Guardian reporter Seumas Milne says that some now wish to open a dialogue with Western media. And he believes that journalists are obliged to listen.

Inside Story (On The Media)

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:56 GMT

Al Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Hajj is the only journalist in Guantanamo, detained without charge for more than five years. Recent court decisions could affect his and other detainees' challenges to their imprisonments. Washington Monthly editor Rachel Morris tells al-Hajj’s story in this month’s Columbia Journalism Review.

Shock and Awe (On The Media)

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:57 GMT

How did Al Jazeera respond to the detention of one of its employees? For over a year, they didn’t. Al Jazeera producer Ahmad Ibrahim produced a documentary about al-Hajj’s case. He says there was no response because Al Jazeera had little information and a lot of fear.

The Voice of the Insurgency (On The Media)

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:58 GMT

Stories from Over There (On The Media)

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:02 GMT

There were decisive movements in the ongoing battle over the image of the war and its soldiers this week. For some, an image of heroic soldiers tells the right story. For others, images of soldiers’ bad behavior tells the real story. Brooke tallies the score.

War Stories (On The Media)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:03 GMT

As a media liaison for the Marines during the early days of the Iraq War, Josh Rushing was stuck between his military superiors and reporters at Al Jazeera. Four years later, Rushing is a reporter for that very network. In his new book, he writes about his unusual career path from marine to war correspondent.

Have Gun Will Travel (On The Media)

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 18:52 GMT

U.S.-paid private contractors in Iraq now outnumber military combat troops there. But you’d never know that from listening to officials and watching the news. Political scientist Deborah Avant talks about why the war’s privatization is slipping through the media’s cracks.

Private Eyes (On The Media)

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 18:57 GMT

Despite the many obstacles to reporting on military contractors, a few journalists have pursued the story. Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater: The Rise Of The World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army, talks about what it takes to see even a small part of the contracting picture.

Enemy Territory (On The Media)

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 19:03 GMT

There’s been a lot of debate lately over how much trouble al Qaeda in Iraq is really causing. One way of gauging the group’s relative strength is to look at their media output. In a new report from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, analyst Daniel Kimmage does just that.

Mind Your A’s and Q’s (On The Media)

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:04 GMT

In and around Baghdad right now, “Al Qaeda in Iraq” is public enemy number one. At least that’s what Pentagon officials say. But McClatchy reporter Mike Drummond thinks journalists should be more skeptical when “Al Qaeda” is uttered.

Struck Gold (On The Media)

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:27 GMT

On Wednesday, a sacred Shiite shrine in Samarra was bombed for the second time. The first bombing famously triggered a wave of reprisals, and thus became a turning point in the war. Or did it? Washington Post reporter Thomas Ricks says that narrative was mostly Bush Administration spin.

Name This War (On The Media)

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 22:15 GMT

This week marks the 40th anniversary of one of Israel’s major conflicts with its Arab neighbors. Here and in Israel, it’s known as the Six-Day War. But Palestinians call it an-Naksah, or “the Setback.” The New Yorker’s Jeffrey Goldberg discusses the event that became Year Zero for subsequent Middle-East coverage.

Rat Extermination (On The Media)

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 22:22 GMT

With the “Stop Snitchin’” movement sweeping American cities, a new website is posting names and photos of witnesses who have testified in exchange for sentencing leniency. The New York Times' Adam Liptak describes what prosecutors are doing to get the site removed.

Unsures of Tripoli (On The Media)

Tue, 29 May 2007 22:06 GMT

For the past week, the Lebanese Army has clashed with Islamist extremists holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp. The Journal for Middle East Broadcasters’ Habib Battah says the who, what, & why are extremely murky, but that shouldn’t stop the media from giving us much more historical context.

On Message (On The Media)

Tue, 29 May 2007 22:08 GMT

The U.S. Arabic-language satellite network Al Hurra has had an uphill struggle for viewership. Lately, it’s been trying to diversify its range of perspectives. But when it featured “terrorists,” congressional funders cried foul. Political scientist Marc Lynch discusses the latest salvo in the war for hearts & minds.

Belated Honor (On The Media)

Tue, 29 May 2007 22:11 GMT

For 27 years, the identity of the only anonymous Pulitzer Prize recipient remained secret. Last year, Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Prager went to Iran to find the winning photographer. This week, Jahangir Razmi finally claimed his Pulitzer. Razmi and Prager tell their story.

Turning Back the Clock (On The Media)

Mon, 14 May 2007 21:13 GMT

Since 2001, independent media outlets have flourished in Afghanistan. But now the Afghan parliament is considering legislation that could severely curb press freedom. Saad Mohseni, founder of Afghanistan's most popular TV network, says Afghan media outlets will not fold under government pressure.

Haditha Exposed (On The Media)

Tue, 15 May 2007 16:01 GMT

Marines involved in the alleged massacre at Haditha, Iraq, went on trial this week. The New York Times’ Paul von Zielbauer talks about a knowingly false press-release put forth by the military, and says that without media attention, there may not have been any military investigation at all.

Losing Count (On The Media)

Mon, 07 May 2007 16:47 GMT

Estimates of civilians killed in Iraq range from 60,000 to 600,000. Now the Iraqi government is clamping down on the last remaining source for official numbers. L.A. Times Baghdad correspondent Tina Susman says her paper is keeping count anyway.
More on this topic:
But Who’s Counting
Innocent Accounting Errors
The New Math

Blog Out (On The Media)

Mon, 07 May 2007 17:06 GMT

Since the beginning of the Iraq war, blogs by soldiers and marines have provided one of the clearest pictures of life as a grunt. Now, the Army is cracking down on military blogs. Retired paratrooper and blogger Matthew Burden says it’s a death sentence for combat blogging. But Army Major Ray Ceralde defends the new rules.
More on this topic:
I Wanna Be a Soldier Blogger

The Making of a Hero (On The Media)

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:28 GMT

House Democrats held hearings this week to investigate whether the Pentagon deliberately twisted the truth about the war exploits of Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman. Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bateman discusses the history of hero-making in war.

The Art of War (On The Media)

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:26 GMT

The mission of a Marine combat artist, dating back to World War I, is “Go to war, do art.” Combat artist Sergeant Kristopher Battles talks about the challenge of drawing a picture while escaping sniper fire.

Better to Give than to Receive (On The Media)

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 17:47 GMT

The 15 British naval officers detained in Iran went home this week, but they stayed in headlines. The L.A. Times' Borzou Daragahi says Iran’s image may have been bolstered by the ordeal, at least in the Mideast press.

Strip Search (On The Media)

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 17:34 GMT

BBC correspondent Alan Johnston was kidnapped in Gaza last month. It's generated some outrage from western journalists, but even more from those in Palestine. Reuters reporter Nidal al-Mughrabi discusses the Palestinian response to Johnston's abduction.

Theater of War (On The Media)

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:22 GMT

The war of images took another step forward this month when the U.S. military announced the creation of its own YouTube channel. Army Major Armando Hernandez explains why the Pentagon is bringing the fight to the enemy and to the small screen.

Not Forgotten (On The Media)

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:30 GMT

The Iraq war is 4 years old, and the American body count still climbs. This week, Brave New Foundation launched the Iraq Veterans Memorial, an online tribute by friends and families of those killed. Jim Miller discusses memorialization in the YouTube age.

Court of Private Opinion (On The Media)

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:52 GMT

Military hearings are underway for 14 high-value terror suspects at Gitmo. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be hearing their stories – reporters are banned from the proceedings. The Miami Herald’s Carol Rosenberg describes “combatant status review tribunals,” one of the sole sources of information from Guantanamo Bay.