'Devastating' Moyers Probe of Press and Iraq Coming (E&P Article)

[TexasLawyer]

'Devastating' Moyers Probe of Press and Iraq Coming

By Greg Mitchell

Published: April 19, 2007 9:00 PM ET

NEW YORK (Commentary) The most powerful indictment of the news media for falling down in its duties in the run-up to the war in Iraq will appear next Wednesday, a 90-minute PBS broadcast called "Buying the War," which marks the return of "Bill Moyers Journal." E&P was sent a preview DVD and a draft transcript for the program this week.

While much of the evidence of the media's role as cheerleaders for the war presented here is not new, it is skillfully assembled, with many fresh quotes from interviews (with the likes of Tim Russert and Walter Pincus) along with numerous embarrassing examples of past statements by journalists and pundits that proved grossly misleading or wrong. Several prominent media figures, prodded by Moyers, admit the media failed miserably, though few take personal responsibility.

The war continues today, now in its fifth year, with the death toll for Americans and Iraqis rising again -- yet Moyers points out, "the press has yet to come to terms with its role in enabling the Bush Administration to go to war on false pretenses."

Among the few heroes of this devastating film are reporters with the Knight Ridder/McClatchy bureau in D.C. Tragically late, Walter Isaacson, who headed CNN, observes, "The people at Knight Ridder were calling the colonels and the lieutenants and the people in the CIA and finding out, you know, that the intelligence is not very good. We should've all been doing that."

<snip>

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003574260

[underpants]

1. Russert?

This guy must be either the most likeable SOB ever or he knows where all the bodies are hidden.

Russert was a major part of the problem and still is

[speedoo]

12. I had the same reaction.

WTF? I'm sure timmeh is not fessing up, so why bother including his BS?

[Mandate My Ass]

2. Thanks. Can't wait

K & R and bookmarked too.

[BlooInBloo]

3. I saw a Moyers video on this topic on alternet a few days ago.... is it the same?

[lligrd]

4. APRIL 25th - 9.00 pm Set Your TIVOs

Somebody remind me since I don't have one.

[pinto]

5. Thanks for the heads up. (aside) Knight Ridder/McClatchy has done an admiral reporting job -

both on factual background and well-informed opinion reports.

[Peace Patriot]

6. Yeah, I noticed, too, that Knight-Ridder was the ONLY honest news organization in

the entire country on the Iraq War. And, then, you know, they got raided by some winger, as I recall, and the board was forced to sell out to McClatchy, though I remember hearing that there was no reason for them to be sold. It seemed to be just the overwhelming trend toward vast corporate news monopolies, possibly prodded by the rightwing groups that had also noticed that they were still honest and independent. I knew McClatchy from the Sacramento Bee, a total corporate crap rag. But I have a sketchy but generally favorable impression of McClatchy, currently (not of the Bee, though). Do others share this impression? I also don't know what impacts the sale might have had on reporters and staff.

[pinto]

7. The Washington DC bureau seems to have maintained its standards -

I think the local affiliates pick and choose what to give print space at times, though, so some outlets may not see all of their pieces. :shrug:

[kimmerspixelated]

8. I can't wait!

However, I have a sneaking suspicion that something will overshadow it during airtime, OR it will be cancelled by one of the wingnuts or ROVE himself. I hope my hunch is wrong!

[TexasLawyer]

9. A sad factoid from the article:

Of the 414 Iraq stories broadcast on NBC, ABC and CBS nightly news in the six months before the war, almost all could be traced back to sources solely in the White House, Pentagon or State Dept., Moyers tells Russert, who offers no coherent reply.

[speedoo]

13. "...Moyers tells Russert, who offers no coherent reply."

Thanks!

My faith in Moyers is restored. (I had expressed skepticism upthread, re. including a quote from Russert.)

[Uncle Joe]

10. Moyer's should have enough material for a mini-series,

at the least. I imagine they had to edit quiet a bit out, to get it down to an hour.

Thanks for the heads-up TexasLawyer

Kicked and recommended

[Gabi Hayes]

11. wonder what he has to say about PBS's dismal coverage

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1145

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1628

http://mediamatters.org/items/200701180017

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=19&media_outlet_id=37

[speedoo]

14. Wasn't PBS run by a bushie at the time?

Some rovian flunkie? Just askin.