RE: [Leica] Embedded Brit journalists will receive Iraq Campaign medal

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

Yes, they did/and do make personal sacrifices and take personal risks,
and I admire them greatly for it, and immediately acknowledge that I've
never done any way coverage. But if their published photographs,
stories, and/or videos don't say "I was there," what do they say? (And
if they don't say "I was here," those folks should be fired for doing a
lousy job! ;-) ) If they want medals and recognition from the
government, then they should enlist - there are plenty of jobs for
military journalists - who, btw, do some amazing work and are little
recognized for it.

B. D.



- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Matthew
Powell
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 11:45 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Embedded Brit journalists will receive Iraq
Campaign medal


On Feb 23, 2004, at 7:47 PM, Neal Friedenthal wrote:
> These journalists didn't take part in the conflict, they reported on
> it, they reported on what they saw from a prespective close
> to the fight, they made personal sacrifice and took personal risk, and

> if they choose to accept a medal that says " Hey, I was there" then 
> more power to them, it is more than either you or I can say.
> Frankly I think they deserve some recognition, a piece of tin on a 
> ribbon is not much.
>
> Neal F

I see it as a question of ethics. In the UK and US, our news media is 
supposed to be independent of the state. We don't, thankfully, have a 
Pravda or Daily Worker (I believe that's the name of the national 
Chinese publication?) to keep us updated on the day's events.

This, along with the very process of embedding, starts to blur the line 
between an independent newsmedia delivering information regardless of 
whether the state wants it known or not, and propagandists working on 
the state's behalf.

I didn't see anyone taking the working journalists to task that badly 
(though, admittedly, I only skimmed a few of the messages) - if you're 
a working journalist, it would be hard to turn down an assignment that 
could make your career, regardless of what you feel.

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