Infomaniac: WeBlog

Newsweek Reaction

The Newsweek/Guantanamo story is being discussed a lot on blogs and journalism analysis sites. A lot of it is rhetoric, but there are a few bloggers and columnists who have actually contributed some insight to the story. Here are a couple:

UPI's Pamela Hess actually lays out the timeline of how the story -- and the retraction -- came out, and says:

"...Newsweek's error is not the only factor here. The Pentagon and White House regard "mainstream media" (read: "liberal media") as hostile to their interests. It may be, and an anecdotal case can be made to that end. But rather than trying to blunt that perceived hostility, they fan its flames.
...The White House and Pentagon were quick to blame Newsweek for the Afghan riots over the weekend, despite Myers' on-the-record statements to the contrary. What Myers might have known is that most Afghans don't read, much less in English. Even fewer get subscriptions to Newsweek.
...By government admission the United States is fighting a "war of ideas" to help moderates win influence in the Muslim world. The eagerness with which the rioters embraced a fallacious report, and to which normally friendly governments lent their voices, suggests it has a long way to go."

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has a lot to say about the story, and blames the White House's Scott McClellan for much of it:

"Or would somebody rather play politics with this? The way Craig Crawford reconstructed it, this one went similarly to the way the Killian Memos story evolved at the White House. The news organization turns to the administration for a denial. The administration says nothing. The news organization runs the story. The administration jumps on the necks of the news organization with both feet - or has its proxies do it for them."

ThinkProgress has Why the Newsweek Mess Really Matters "The media may prefer RatherGate Part II, but this is the real story."

Digby, at Hullaballoo is rounding up a lot of the reaction and the history at Guantanamo.
(Some links via South Knox Bubba.)

posted by liz at 9:49 AM