Check Out Jay Rosen

Jay Rosen has a very good piece on the role of the press in fighting a "classifed war".

Spoiler Alert:  In his After Matters section at the bottom Jay notes, with some disappointment, a recent WaPo guest piece by the deans of five prominent journalism schools.

I think my disppointment exceeds his - stay tuned.

Second Spoiler Alert - Mark Coffey circles around this with a column praising Christopher Hitchens (who bashes the deans).  But no worries - I think I can still find a point to belabor.

Comments

[Redcoat]

From the Article in the W.Post, which I assume is published somewhere on Mt.Olympus,

It is the business -- and the responsibility -- of the press to reveal secrets.

Responsibility needs to be balanced by outcome, what they are advocating is exposing secrets for the simple reason that they are secret.

They believe in an absolute mandate to do as they please, and the consequences be damned, they are morally and intellectually bankrupt.

"We believe that in the case of a close call, the press should publish when editors are convinced that more damage will be done to our democratic society by keeping information away from the American people than by leveling with them."

First, how exactly are Editors qualified to judge the damage arising from leaking security and anti-terror programs?

We know from history that the government often claims to be concerned about national security when its concern is that disclosure will prove politically or personally embarrassing.

Which of the recently leaked programs could be classified as "embarrassing?"

For instance, a few months ago Bush denounced the Times for revealing the National Security Agency's program of monitoring international telephone calls by Americans without first obtaining warrants.....For most observers, however, the most important secret that was revealed was that the president had ignored the statutory process that Congress had established.

Wrong, they are ignoring the claims that the Presidents Article 2 powers grant him the right to do so, and his broad powers during wartime.

The "most" they refer to must be the list of the names at the bottom of the article, because polling clearly indicates broad support among the American people for that program.

Clearly, they are circling the Wagons, but there are too many of us, we have a lot of ammunition, and we are not going away.

And Journalism Schools are the New version of Buggy-Whip Making Schools, we don't need them, their time has past.

[Syl]

Here is my take on the deans that I posted at YARGB: Keller is the Nixon of the Press

[topsecretk9]

It really is as simple what Hitchen's sets forth...the press can pat themselves on the back for "--the business -- and the responsibility -- of the press to reveal secrets." but when you strike a pose on one, don't be surprised if you are left with a credibility zero on the next--

and it sort of puts perspective on where the press's head was at when they let Wilson swindle them.

[Sue]

I think Rosen should talk to Keller first. Keller has decided it wasn't a secret, everyone knew. It would certainly help my understanding if they would all get on the same page. Did they reveal a secret or not? ::grin::

[Tom Maguire]

Keller has decided it wasn't a secret, everyone knew.

LOL.

[topsecretk9]

It would certainly help my understanding if they would all get on the same page. Did they reveal a secret or not?

Sue, that's funny because I was wondering about that WAPO editorial that argued dispelling Wilson's claims was a good leak ...seems like everyone has schizophrenia

link

...The affair concerns, once again, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV and his absurdly over-examined visit to the African country of Niger in 2002. Each time the case surfaces, opponents of the war in Iraq use it to raise a different set of charges, so it's worth recalling the previous iterations. Mr. Wilson originally claimed in a 2003 New York Times op-ed and in conversations with numerous reporters that he had debunked a report that Iraq was seeking to purchase uranium from Niger and that Mr. Bush's subsequent inclusion of that allegation in his State of the Union address showed that he had deliberately "twisted" intelligence "to exaggerate the Iraq threat." The material that Mr. Bush ordered declassified established, as have several subsequent investigations, that Mr. Wilson was the one guilty of twisting the truth. In fact, his report supported the conclusion that Iraq had sought uranium.

Mr. Wilson subsequently claimed that the White House set out to punish him for his supposed whistle-blowing by deliberately blowing the cover of his wife, Valerie Plame, who he said was an undercover CIA operative. This prompted the investigation by Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald. After more than 2 1/2 years of investigation, Mr. Fitzgerald has reported no evidence to support Mr. Wilson's charge...

[Redcoat]

Sue,
Did they reveal a secret or not?

Let's see,
The title of the article,

"BANK DATA SIFTED IN SECRET BY U.S. TO BLOCK TERROR,"

Then,

"Under a secret Bush administration program"

Apparently Keller forgot to tell his reporters that everyone already knew about it.

Must be embarrassing for them.

[Redcoat]

topsecretk9

Apparently, people at the N.Y Times and Washington Post don't communicate well,or maybe they forget things.

Bill Keller forgot to tell his reporters that their story about a secret program was something everyone on the planet already knew about,and no one at the Post told the Op-Ed people that Joe Wilson is a lying weasel.

Or is that a secret?

[Sue]

I even saw Lichtblau on CNN saying it wasn't a secret. Right after I saw Keller say the same thing. Now Rosen wants to convince me that revealing a (cough, cough) non secret is the press' duty. Fair enough.

[Sue]

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0607/02/rs.01.html>Transcript CNN

LICHTBLAU: I'm claiming I know the mind of every terrorist, but I am claiming to know exactly what President Bush and his senior aides have said. And when you have senior Treasury Department officials going before Congress, publicly talking about how they are tracing and cutting off money to terrorists, weeks and weeks before our story ran.

"USA Today", the biggest circulation in the country, the lead story on their front page four days before our story ran was the terrorists know their money is being traced, and they are moving it into -- outside of the banking system into unconventional means. It is by no means a secret.

Is it any wonder I'm confused? ::grin::

[Sue]

Same discussion...

LICHTBLAU: I think in some ways it was a closer call. It was a difficult decision. Anytime you're talking about, you know, revealing sensitive information, that is not something any paper does lightly, be it the "New York Times", the "L.A. Times" or the "Wall Street Journal". You know, the paper listened long and hard over a period of months to the administration, to the arguments. They weighed the arguments before making the decision they did.

And you know, we listened to people who the administration sent to talk to us about the program. And you know, it was not an easy decision. And outside the context of the NSA program and the debate going on over presidential powers, it probably would have been even a more difficult decision.

See...even Lichtblau is confused. ::grin::

[Redcoat]

Sue

Well,seven months ago,Lichtblau was bemoaning the fact that the Administration was not doing enough to track terrorist finances.

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/014609.php

So super-smart investigative reporter boy for the super-smart N.Y Times did not know about it,but everone else did?

I'm tempted to work for the Times,if only for the tap-dancing lessons.

[Sylvan]

"We believe that in the case of a close call, the press should publish when editors are convinced that more damage will be done to our democratic society by keeping information away from the American people than by leveling with them."

Damage to our democratic society by NOT revealing secret information? WHAT damage? How about the damage done because they chose to reveal information that shielded programs designed to protect our democratic society? What about THAT damage?

What a lame bunch of hypocrits our press has become. I'd be embarrassed to admit that was my profession if I were a journalist.

[danking70]

TS9,

"that's funny because I was wondering about that WAPO editorial that argued dispelling Wilson's claims was a good leak ...seems like everyone has schizophrenia"

I feel that a drunk's "moment of clarity" would be more appropriate than schizophrenia. LOL!

It would make a good JOM post. The WaPo had maybe 2-3 more moments of clarity. There was an article or Op-Ed after Joe's testimony in front of the Senate Committee and Pincus' correction (as weasely as it was).

Perhaps they're honestly scared of the shitstorm they might causing if it turns out the real story was that Kerry advisor Joe Wilson lied/exaggerated/literary flaired about his trip to Nigeria and the conclusions derived from it to hinder our war effort, hurt the Bush Administration, and get Kerry elected President. And the Press helped.

[danking70]

might cause.

[clarice]

On the W Post and Wilson, I think Woodward told the editors this was a crock and tocut it out.
On the NYT, the never ending tap dance and impressing of the stupid deans in their cause is because I think the rage is growing, not dissipating and because their already weak financial position is gettin more precarious. I'd give a lot to see the latest subsciption/ ad figures.

[Tom Maguire]

On the W Post and Wilson, I think Woodward told the editors this was a crock and tocut it out.

Don't forget Walter Pincus and Dana Priest - Ms. Priest saw no harm to national security, Pincus thought the leak was obnoxious but the criminal case was hype.

[maryrose]

Everyone with half a brain knows the Wilson story is a crock{Priest,Woodward, and wh
atever honest journalists are still around.
Redcoat:
Tap-dancing lessons-my first big laugh of the day - I hope more are coming.

[owl]

Now Rosen wants to convince me that revealing a (cough, cough) non secret is the press' duty. Fair enough.

The day Rosen convinces me of anything is the day I know I have passed. Sorry TM.

[Eve M.]

I was disappointed by Rosen's piece. He doesn't seem to recognize the Heisenbergian way that press coverage *changes* the situation, even though this was reportedly one of the main arguments the government people made to the NYT: "You will scare off the other participants in the SWIFT system if you make a big deal about this in the American press." It appears that terrorists have been continuing to use (have been forced, by circumstance, to use?) international bank transfers in some cases regardless of the risk, so the only way to break this system would be to choke off the flow of bank data in the first place. Depending on how skittish the other SWIFT countries are, that may be what ultimately happens.

[Peter]

"They believe in an absolute mandate to do as they please, and the consequences be damned, they are morally and intellectually bankrupt."

Fits the Bush Admin better than it will ever fit the news media (even the FOX propaganda machine). Look at what the hamfisted Bush admin has done in the middle-east now ... started a civil war in Iraq, instigated a war between Lebanon and Israel, and weakened our position in the world so drastically that Iran and Syria can thumb their noses at us. All at the cost of 400 billion $s, 2550 american lives, 100,000 Iraqi lives and counting. Bang up job boys and I mean boys! Boy-men playing the roles of adults in a world for which they have only contempt.

Conservatives slit their own throats by following Bush/Cheney. The biggest losers are going to be evangelical christians. Our citizens will never forget what this inbred bunch of holligans did in backing this incompetent admin in the hopes of getting a few anti-choice supremes.

[Syl]

Peter

I bet your dog doesn't even like you. What hate-filled screed.

[Peter]

Wow Syl

Great defense of all the damage this criminal Bush admin has done to our country and our world. It was so much fun watching you morons spew your hate of Clinton because he got a Lewinski. Now Bush f's the world and all you can say is don't be mad. You have no imagination and since you are obviously a Bush supporter you have extremely bad judgement.

[Syl]

Peter

Tell it to the hand.

Time to walk your dog.

[Peter]

Pretty soon "the hand" will be the only one listening to you. The whole country now knows what Bush supporters are. You family will never listen to one of your political opinions again or if they do they will have that knowing look are their face that says "weren't you the one
talking up invading Iraq, weren't you the one saying it would pay for itself, weren't you the one saying that american causualites would be light?"

To live in w orld totally devoid of respect for you. That is your destiny.
Enjoy!

[Jane]

Peter,

That's grape kool-aid, right?

[Bob]

Jane I don't think even the Grape flavored Kool-Aid can remove the bad taste of BDS...

It's in their soul...

[Jane]

It's a factless soul. Has Peter actually said anything factual since he has been here? He's got that glazed over rhetorically thing going. God forbid a fact or two should get in his way.

Of course for his side, the facts aren't pretty, so it is understandable.

[PeterUK]

"To live in w orld totally devoid of respect for you. That is your destiny.
Enjoy!

Posted by: Peter | July 13, 2006 at 12:22 AM "

This,I take it,is the voice of experience,wafting down from atop the pillar of shit in the desert that you live on?
As sad creature of rags and tatters howling his imprecations to the wind.

[PeterUK]

Is it not deranged that the most confused individual who bragged about this,
"Most of you cheerleaders households make a small fraction of the incomes of households like mine. I have been getting big breaks on taxes and you idiots are paying for them"

Can turn round and say this?

"Great defense of all the damage this criminal Bush admin has done to our country and our world. It was so much fun watching you morons spew your hate of Clinton because he got a Lewinski. Now Bush f's the world and all you can say is don't be mad. You have no imagination and since you are obviously a Bush supporter you have extremely bad judgement."

Biting the hand that feeds him,a perfect example of Moonbaticus Rabidii.

[Bob]

PeterUK... The question one needs to ask Mr small "p" peter, is if getting BJ from an intern is not anything to to worry about, why did the pig lie about it! It would appear that by little pee's standard, this would have been a badge of honor... especially since he didn't even give a tax break to get it.

Sorta like the NY Times idea of "breaking" the SWIFT story that everyone knew about.