I think that the Reuters Bureau Chief in Iraq explained the situation. He said that MSM, and the 'agencies' that serve them put their audience interests first, for commercial reasons.

Extending this - If the audience does not show signs of interest, then the corporations don't put the focus in. Because of church/state separation in most media organisation between editorial and business decisions, it is the editors who have to decide what needs covering. But in some ways they are proxies to their audience anyhow.

What the former-editor at NYT said was that they (editors) are pretty much at the whim of the journalists (he called them correspondents) anyhow, since they don't know any more than the people on the ground.

I think you are unfair in being so rigorous in your attack. I think the sitatution is a balance, and that editors and journalists have some blame, but the key is, perhaps, that without an audience's 'interest', they can't actually (afford to) cover anything.
Nic Fulton | Homepage | 04.06.06 - 3:35 am | #

Hi Salam,

It was a nice exprience in general. At least we got to ask some questions even if we weren't satisfied with the answers.

I hope you get some sleep before leaving to work today.
Fayrouz | Homepage | 04.06.06 - 3:42 am | #

The current "mess" in Iraq is occuring because some very ugly and murderous thugs are doing what they do. No amount of reporting is going to fix a thug. A thug is a thug is a thug. Once again, you point the finger and miss the target....
Scott from Oregon | 04.06.06 - 3:47 am | #

[scott] "The current "mess" in Iraq is occuring because some very ugly and murderous thugs are doing what they do."

Agreed. Now the point is, would the Bush camp been able to get away with their murderous strategy if there had been a proper analysis of the facts in the media; if the media in the run up to the invasion had not been so distorted? I don't think so.
Bruno | 04.07.06 - 7:32 am | #

New posts at Baghdad Connect

http://baghdad-connect.blogspot.com/
Blog watch | 04.08.06 - 3:43 pm | #

the republicans think they have some good ideas about mexicans,honest day fighting is your path to americahood.You gota fight for your right to party
Anonymous | 05.22.07 - 7:25 pm | #

I'll claim that last one (bush it)
satellitetom | 05.22.07 - 7:29 pm | #