‘How do our journalists go to war without history books?’

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/27/814/

Fisk Takes Western Officials - and Reporters - to Task
‘How do our journalists go to war without history books?’
by Theodore May

BEIRUT - In wide-ranging remarks during a lecture at the American University of Beirut on Thursday, veteran British journalist Robert Fisk sharply criticized US policy in Iraq, analyzed shortcomings in Western journalism on the Middle East and reflected on the state of politics in the region, saying he was “distressed” by what he called the people’s hesitancy to question rulers.The lecture, entitled “After the Collapse: Disengagement in the Middle East,” ran for about 45 minutes and was followed by more than 20 minutes of questions. A live telecast of the remarks was broadcast in a second room to accommodate an overflow crowd. 0427 06

Fisk, who lived and reported in Lebanon throughout the Civil War, has for many years worked in the region as a correspondent for Britain’s Independent newspaper. He is also the author of the widely read “Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War,” among other titles.

In a spirited style that kept the audience laughing, Fisk lampooned Western journalists for their lack of historical perspective when reporting from the Middle East.

“I asked myself, how do our journalists go to war without history books?” he said.

In order to drive home his point about how poorly journalists had covered the Iraq war and how ignorant of history they had been, Fisk retold the story of the failed 1917-1920 British occupation of the country in a way that mirrored the current track of the United States there. The US excursion has been a “fingerprint parallel of history,” he said.

Again pointing a finger at Western journalists, Fisk ran through articles from The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times, noting that although the incidents reported in the articles took place in Iraq, the only sources cited were US officials.

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[truedelphi]

1. I forget the person's name who originally said that

"the one thing that one learns from reading history is that we don't learn from history." (I'm paraphrasing)

<<In order to drive home his point about how poorly journalists had covered the Iraq war and how ignorant of history they had been, Fisk retold the story of the failed 1917-1920 British occupation of the country in a way that mirrored the current track of the United States there. The US excursion has been a “fingerprint parallel of history,” he said.

US journalists have their important job through connections - and in many cases from CIA connections.

It's not hard to ask the hard questions - if eighty something Helen Thomas could do it daily I see no reason why no one else can do it.

But the news media these days is undercover operatives. And not just the journalists taht stand in the Rose Garden. But also the talking heads who this week at Fox News spin the "Rosie"leaves the View story endlessly rather than do a hard take on the Gonzo affair.