LATEST EDITION OF MEDIA MATTERS HIGHLIGHTS THE PRESS'S ROLE IN THE DEBATE OVER INVADING OF IRAQ -- PREMIERING JANUARY 16, PRESENTED BY THIRTEEN/WNET NEW YORK
Has the press lived up to its responsibility to fully explore the Bush administration's Iraq policy? Is the Web delivering on the promise of the age-old American ideal of freedom of the press? What does a photojournalist think about when faced with taking pictures of the worst terrorist tragedy in American history? When are photographs too controversial to publish?
Power politics, ethics, and new technology -- MEDIA MATTERS probes the stories behind the news. The critically acclaimed newsmagazine returns with four new segments in its latest episode, premiering Thursday, January 16, 2003 at 10 p.m. (E.T.) on PBS (check local listings).
Hosted by Pulitzer Prize winner Alex Jones, director of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, MEDIA MATTERS explores contemporary journalism from the inside, providing new insight into how -- and how well -- the news media do their job.
"Words of War" Scheduled to air on the 12th anniversary of the 1991 Gulf War, "Words of War" explores the powerful role of the press in preparing the nation for war with Iraq and of newspaper editorials and opinion columns in shaping the debate over the Bush administration's plans. Even with the growing influence of cable television and the Web, it was the editorial pages of the nation's leading newspapers that influenced Bush administration policy, according to former WALL STREET JOURNAL op-ed page editor Max Boot.
The ongoing battle over the proposed war broke out when THE NEW YORK TIMES ran a story in July 2002 detailing an insider's misgivings over secret plans for the invasion of Iraq and reached a fever pitch after Brent Scowcroft's WALL STREET JOURNAL column criticized invasion plans.
Some believe the press was too deferential for too long. "Whenever you have a popular president, the news media are hesitant and often inhibited in terms of raising questions about what he says," states Michael Massing, media critic and contributor to THE NATION. On the other hand, WEEKLY STANDARD editor William Kristol claims that "we have had more of a debate about this than most of the major foreign policy choices that [administrations] have faced in recent years." Many have pointed out that President Bush's speech at the United Nations was at least in part a response to the press's contribution to the debate.
"Words of War," reported by MEDIA MATTERS host Alex S. Jones, surveys the journalistic battle over the hearts and minds of the American public.
"A Trip to the Blogosphere" Cyberspace's most dynamic journalistic innovation may be the "blog" or "Web log" -- an electronic diary of personal commentary. The "Blogosphere" is expanding so rapidly (estimates of the number of American bloggers range from 200,000 to 500,000) that MSNBC.com just replaced its highly successful discussion boards and their 600,000 posts per day with "Weblog Central." It posts its own blogs and provides a weekly list of links called "Best of Blogs."
Glenn Reynolds, a law professor and founder of instapundit.com, a blog and blogging gateway that attracts up to 100,000 visitors a day, claims that, with blogs, "the First Amendment is finally living up to its promise on the Internet." Usually one-person operations, blogs take on every imaginable subject, from gardening and movies to, more typically, commentary on the day's news and how it is reported. These independent media critics are regularly challenging the reporting of some of the country's leading newspapers, including THE NEW YORK TIMES.
Mainstream journalists are beginning to recognize the medium's influence and potential. Howard Kurtz, media critic for THE WASHINGTON POST, has written that "bloggers are busting chops, big time."
"Photo Story" A picture may be worth a thousand words, but exactly how does a photojournalist work, and how is an evocative image created and selected? Jeff Mermelstein, an award-winning photographer whose work has been featured in THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, LIFE, and THE NEW YORKER, shares his thoughts on photojournalism and his craft. He also reflects on what he thought and felt when taking his poignant photographs of Ground Zero in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Capturing Mermelstein in action on the streets of New York today, MEDIA MATTERS looks at the challenge and process of telling stories through pictures.
"Tough Calls: When Are Photographs Too Controversial to Publish?" MEDIA MATTERS assembles a panel of professional journalists and newspaper readers to discuss photos that have shocked, startled, and horrified. Why are we more likely to see photos of suffering overseas than in the U.S.? Has the Internet influenced which photos end up in the newspaper? What obligation do photo editors have to protect the dignity of photographic subjects?
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