- War? What War? (At least that’s how it looks from the J-Schools)
- Reports and Analysis
- A Failure of Intelligence
- So Wrong For So Long, So Why Change Now?
- Special bonus: Joe Galloway's foreword to my book
- Some Questions to Start
- Back to the Book
- Where’s the Tough New Benchmark Journalism From the Elite Providers?
- Book Club This Week
Greg Mitchell
- : New York
- : http://gregmitchellwriter.blogspot.com/
- : Greg Mitchell is the editor of Editor & Publisher magazine and the author of "So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits - and the President - Failed in Iraq (Union Square Press), his ninth book.
Exclusive: Sundays NYT Asks--"The End of Republican America?
The cover story of this coming Sunday's New York Times Magazine asks the provocative question: "The End of Republican America?" The photo below it shows a red, inflatable elephant -- collapsed and leaking air. "Karl Rove had a plan to...more »
Posted on March 28, 2008 10:14 PM
As Iraq toll nears 4000: Still just a "comma" for Bush
As the U.S. death toll neared 4000 in Iraq -- four more killed this since Friday -- President Bush gave the country another pep talk this week on staying the course, while continuing to argue that history will wash the...more »
Posted on March 23, 2008 5:24 PM
Special bonus: Joe Galloway's foreword to my book
As an addendum to this week of discussion of my new book, So Wrong for So Long, I thought I would provide some “bonus coverage,” in the form of an excerpt from the foreword to my book by one of...more »
Posted on March 22, 2008 2:12 PM
Back to the Book
Following a spirited debate on the war, Bob Bateman suggested that everyone get back to my book and the focus on media coverage of that war. So here goes. My first post raised questions mainly about news coverage, concerning...more »
Posted on March 19, 2008 1:58 PM
Some Questions to Start
Hello to all, and I am grateful, as we mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, for the participation of our outside commentators – Joe Galloway, Jay Rosen, Paul Rieckhoff, Spencer Ackerman and Bob Bateman --...more »
Posted on March 17, 2008 12:26 PM
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It was another shameful week for the media. In all of the 5th anniversary coverage, they analyzed everything and pointed fingers everywhere and at everyone -- but themselves. There was virtually no media re-assessment of ...the media. No need to update title of my books just yet. But more one good look back, you can catch NPR's "On the Media" report online at www.onthemedia.org.
Posted at March 23, 2008 4:12 PM in response to Too Much to Ask?
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Burns also ended by saying that Iraqis he knows, when asked for a fully frank opinion, say they don't want Americans to leave. The next day yet another poll came out showing that 70% do want us to leave. Burns feels that most Iraqis will not speak the truth to pollsters -- but some few will, to him. Who do you believe?
Posted at March 18, 2008 5:00 PM in response to Where’s the Tough New Benchmark Journalism From the Elite Providers?
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Good post Jay. A lot to kick around there. No matter how cynical some of us might be -- who could possibly believe we'd still have 160,000 troops in Iraq 5 years later? Though I find it almost poignant -- though tragic -- that, almost 5 years ago, I may have been first to describe Iraq as a coming "quaqmire," and took a lot of heat for it. This past Sunday, John Burns in the NYT used that very word...
Posted at March 18, 2008 12:01 PM in response to Where’s the Tough New Benchmark Journalism From the Elite Providers?
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And very little coverage back here at home on the Winter Soldier hearings.
Posted at March 17, 2008 4:42 PM in response to Some Questions to Start
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He still could be McCain's Veep, right?
Posted at March 17, 2008 4:00 PM in response to Some Questions to Start
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There's a good piece today up at the main McClatchy site by Hannah Allam -- the former Baghdad reporter (who we put on the cover of E&P) -- on how the daily lives of people are still horrendous for the most part...
Posted at March 17, 2008 2:35 PM in response to Some Questions to Start
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The book idenifies the worst moment for the media in the entire war -- after their failures in the runup -- to their silence on the "surge" before it was launched. I believe I was first to coin the phrase, "Surge Protectors."
Posted at March 17, 2008 1:48 PM in response to Some Questions to Start
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One of the earliest chapters in the book conerns Rick Atkinson of The Washington Post and his coverage of then little-known Petraeus back in early 2004. Petraeus had a famous quote then about Iraq: "Tell me how this turns out." Could ask it again, today.
I also have a chapter on his link to the controverial suicide of Col. Ted Westhusing. Still not sure what to make of it.
Posted at March 17, 2008 1:47 PM in response to Some Questions to Start
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No, not a blurb from anyone at Brookings, although my daughter used to work there. I'm afraid some there might not like this book.
Posted at March 17, 2008 1:44 PM in response to Some Questions to Start
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Getting to your final question first, because it is easiest, yes, Strupp is still working on it but afte 6 years of getting most of the finalists early on the new "secrecy" campaign has made it much tougher. He has a bunch of finalists that are likely for real but only single-sourced. I will consider your other queries when I have a moment...
Posted at March 17, 2008 1:11 PM in response to Some Questions to Start
