It’s a rare journalist who travel across Syria and reports honestly about the situation. Past the PR. Beyond the lies told by the government and “rebels”. The Independent’s Patrick Cockburn… (the man has fine form) explains in this essential piece: Every time I come to Syria I am struck by how different the situation is on…
Showing all posts tagged mainstream media
Background and context to revealing Edward Snowden NSA stories
It’s been quite a month since the details emerged of massive spying by the NSA. Here are two interesting interviews and a speech by key players. First, Guardian editors Alan Rusbridger and Janine Gibson discuss how the paper managed the ways in which a mainstream media news organisation publishes sensitive information. They’re speaking to Charlie…
Proudly stand up for advocacy journalism
The concept of objectivity in reporting, pushed by establishment enablers, is rightly dismissed by the great Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi (love him) here: All… journalism is advocacy journalism. No matter how it’s presented, every report by every reporter advances someone’s point of view. The advocacy can be hidden, as it is in the monotone narration…
When corporate press sees role as protecting US power not interrogating it
Remarkable interview with the Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald, key journalist on the Edward Snowden story, with establishment “reporter” David Gregory of Meet the Press yesterday. How unedifying and revealing that Gregory asks Greenwald whether he should be charged with a crime for being involved in the Snowden leak story. Once a hack who loves attending Washington…
We all should be Bradley Manning
A bold new campaign to support the incredibly important whistle-blowing of Bradley Manning:
Remembering the late, great Michael Hastings, friend and fine journalist
Yesterday the world was greeted with the tragic news that 33 year old, US investigative journalist Michael Hastings died in a car crash in LA. Apart from being a fearless reporter, he was also a friend. I’m still in shock. We weren’t overly close but met years ago at a writer’s festival in Brisbane and…
Al Jazeera’s The Listening Post on Ed Snowden and intelligence leaking
The importance of leaking to ensure transparency in a democracy is something we should never forget. The great Al Jazeera media program The Listening Post this week tackles Edward Snowden, Bradley Manning and Wikileaks. They asked me to comment on the ways in which the Snowden story unfolded in the press. My clip is at…
Offshore Leaks reveal details of the rich and powerful
Real journalists should be celebrating the leaking of information that provides invaluable background and focus into how our world is really run (Wikileaks and Edward Snowden being two good examples). Equally important is the recent work by The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists: The… ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database… cracks open the impenetrable world of offshore tax havens.…