The issues associated with traumas journalists suffer in covering wars and "how do newsrooms prepare journalists to cope with covering large-scale human suffering" were aired. The challenge of what to do about the large toll of media staff killed in Iraq""the number is now 93""led to considerable hand-wringing. There was anger at the Pentagon's refusal to permit independent investigations of journalists killed by the US military and an ongoing campaign of intimidation and bullying.
TELL THE TRUTH CAMPAIGN
Representing Mediachannel.org's "Tell the Truth About the War" campaign, I suggested that journalists take direct action to support their colleagues under fire including a walk out at the White House press conferences. There was applause. Others called for more solidarity and joint action by media companies to support calls for support for journalists in Iraq. This issue is not an abstraction; it is a matter of life and death.
News XChange was a festival of ideas""some new, many old""but ideas matter in the battle to reform media and energize democracy, The fact that so many were open to hearing criticisms and contemplate new directions is encouraging.
Along with Groucho Marx, I usually don't join clubs that would have me as a member""but being part of this one for a few days indicated that there is recognition that all is not well in our newsrooms. They may not change but at least the cannot pretend they do not know. Independents and alternative media mavens need to play a role in this fight to move the media.
News Dissector Danny Schechter is the "bogger in chief" of Mediachannel.org and the author of two new books, "The Death of Media" and "When News Lies: Media Complicity and the Iraq War. See http://www.newsdissector.org/store.htm. Comments to Dissector@mediachannel.org Mediachannel.org
TELL THE TRUTH CAMPAIGN
Representing Mediachannel.org's "Tell the Truth About the War" campaign, I suggested that journalists take direct action to support their colleagues under fire including a walk out at the White House press conferences. There was applause. Others called for more solidarity and joint action by media companies to support calls for support for journalists in Iraq. This issue is not an abstraction; it is a matter of life and death.
News XChange was a festival of ideas""some new, many old""but ideas matter in the battle to reform media and energize democracy, The fact that so many were open to hearing criticisms and contemplate new directions is encouraging.
News Dissector Danny Schechter is the "bogger in chief" of Mediachannel.org and the author of two new books, "The Death of Media" and "When News Lies: Media Complicity and the Iraq War. See http://www.newsdissector.org/store.htm. Comments to Dissector@mediachannel.org Mediachannel.org
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