Getting it Right in Iraq

One of the most difficult things to deal with as a citizen thinking about Iraq is the constant one-way version of the story we seem to get. Whether complaint or skeptical, the media only deals with one point of view on Iraq, that of our government. That's not fair and balanced, its not even objective. It's just a simple way to minimize investment in actual news gathering and focus reporting on what you are already being fed. It also underserves the American public trying to suss out what is really going on in Iraq.

Enter the McClatchy group. They have been one of the few news organizations consistently taking risks and working from within Iraq to give the most complete picture of what's going on in Iraq. I listened to an interview this morning by Bill Moyers of Leila Fadel, the 26 year-old McClatchy Baghdad bureau chief. You can catch the transcript here, or listen to the podcast. The best part of her reporting is that its agenda free. There's little discussion of what "should" be happening or what's right and wrong, her reporting simply attempts to explain who the players are and what the ingredients are in the soup that is Iraq.

The Moyers interview is a great start, but you can also go straight to the source. Fadel and her staff maintain a daily blog relaying what life is like for the the people living in Iraq. It's a riveting read, and if I were made head of a major news outlet tomorrow. It would be required listening daily on my network. Give it a read here, and rest assured it will be on our blog roll.