American reporter Michael Hastings wrote a devastating portrait last year of leading US military man Stanley McChrystal. It was clear, unafraid to upset the establishment and devastating. McChrystal resigned shortly after. Hastings is now back, with another fascinating essay on the war in Afghanistan, this time profiling the role of General David Petraeus. The conclusion…
Showing all posts tagged mainstream media
The MSM struggles with being seriously challenged by Wikileaks
The latest Wikileaks cables show the US under Barack Obama was very keen to spy on Britain. I’m sure Washington is equally interested in hearing the gossip from Australian diplomatic circles though they may be rather disappointed. Canberra pretty much follows everything America does, especially the futile colonial wars. How noble. Of course, the media…
Of course Wikileaks matters, profoundly
While the New York Times releases a book about Wikileaks and editor Bill Keller feels the need to smear Julian Assange while saying how much he loves America, Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger is far more nuanced in his explanation of the relationship between corporate media and Wikileaks: The challenge from WikiLeaks for media in general…
The neo-con corruption of Judaism
Part 7653: Mainstream media coverage, especially in the United States, has been filled with misleading tales. With help from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pro-Israel commentators, the regime has distracted many outlets with the arrant nonsense that the popular protests presage a takeover of Egypt by the Muslim Brothers. The Muslim Brothers, yes, are…
I’m a journalist and I’m in the US State Department
If more evidence was needed that the vast majority of US corporate media is in the service of US foreign policy, coverage of the anti-Mubarak protests in Egypt have often overlooked the rather important detail of Washington’s backing. For example, here’s ABC‘s Christiane Amanpour: The implications are really big because this is very fundamental. Egypt…
Why al-Jazeera is a threat
Jeremy Scahill is spot-on; the Arabic news channel does what the vast bulk of Western media refused to do since 9/11; remain unembedded with American foreign policy goals: The real threat Al Jazeera poses to authoritarian regimes is in its unembedded journalism. That is why the Bush Administration viewed Al Jazeera as a threat, it…
Wikileaks; is our government letting us down?
I’ll be appearing at the following event next week in Sydney presented by the Australian Institute of International Affairs: Hosted by: AIIA NSW The event will start on: Tuesday, 08 February 2011 6:00 PM And will end on: Tuesday, 08 February 2011 7:30 PM At The Glover Cottages, Sydney 124 Kent Street , Sydney NSW…
At least the Guardian didn’t ask US how to proceed over Wikileaks
Unlike the New York Times: A few days before the cables’ release, two senior figures from the US embassy in Grosvenor Square called in to the Guardian‘s London offices for a chat. This discussion led to a surreal transatlantic telephone call on Friday 26 November – two days before launch. Alan Rusbridger agreed to ring…
We should thank Cairo for repressing people?
Democracy for Arabs? Not in the Murdoch world. Here’s a senior Australian editor, Alan Howe – the man has form – writing today on Egypt in Melbourne’s Herald Sun. It’s all about Israel, screw freedom or rights. The Zionist state has corrupted our souls: Sayyid Qutb. Remember that name. You’ll hear it often in coming…
Journalists, don’t be afraid to rely on Arabs to tell you Egyptian truth
Here’s an idea for a Western newspaper trying to report in Egypt. Rather than sending your own correspondent who doesn’t get anywhere near the action – or know any of the important writers, bloggers, Tweeters etc – you actually rely on other, perhaps indigenous sources, who are seeing the real action on the streets. Not…