Would You Bomb Iran, Yes or No?

CJR.ORG — October 31, 2007
Sandwiched between the Clinton-bashing and UFO-sighting there was much talk of Iran at last night’s Democratic debate in Philly — as there has been at each of the eight debates so far. And for good reason. By all accounts Iran is involved to some degree in aiding and abetting the sectarian [...]

Want to be a Journalist for Halloween?

CJR.ORG — October 29, 2007
It’s hard to fathom what exactly the folks at FEMA were thinking. This weekend we found out that at a press conference last week to discuss the Southern California fires, FEMA had their own employees pose as reporters and ask such hard-hitting questions of the agency’s deputy director as, “Are you [...]

The Chip on Sanchez’s Shoulder

CJR.ORG –October 19, 2007
Even though I’m a bit late to this, it’s worth following up on my post from Monday about the coverage of Ricardo Sanchez’s speech. Since then, the text of his remarks have become public and after reading them, I can’t help but comment on what they tell us. In short, they offer [...]

“Bruising” Press Critique, Bruised Ego?

CJR.ORG — October 15, 2007
It was shocking enough to read on Saturday morning that another retired general was lambasting the Bush administration’s conduct of the war in Iraq, but even more disconcerting to discover that it was Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, himself a former top commander of the war, who was now describing the situation [...]

Can Hitch Make Al Run?

CJR.ORG — October 11, 2007
Does the cantankerous Christopher Hitchens control the media?
I’m beginning to come to that scary conclusion after scanning the papers this morning. Two weeks ago, Hitchens posted one of his regular columns on Slate in which he predicted that if Al Gore is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, he would surely join [...]

Which Came First?

CJR.ORG –  October 9, 2007
It’s not quite chicken and egg territory, but it’s an equally endless query nonetheless. What leads to what? Does a presidential candidate’s popularity in the polls lead to more media coverage or does media coverage lead to popularity in the polls? Of course, the candidate, who believes wholeheartedly that everyone would [...]

The Unpeaceful Rest of Mohammed Al-Dura

CJR.ORG — October 3, 2007
No single event was responsible for igniting the Second Intifada, which began seven years ago and effectively killed off the “peace process” between Israel and the Palestinians. Or, rather, there are specific causes for why violence erupted in the occupied Palestinian territories and in the cafes and markets of Tel Aviv [...]

There’s No Silencing This Ring

CJR.ORG — October 2, 2007
It’s no fun to be one of those moralizing prigs lamenting the up-close-and-personal treatment the presidential candidates are getting this election cycle. So instead, I’d like to point out an instance where this intimate and intense scrutiny of the candidates’ every gesture and utterance has actually yielded a certain truth, one [...]