A Former CIA Operative on How Journalists “will be assimilated” And how We’ve become schills for the government/companies
The culture of journalism has changed and not for the better. IN our star-fuckery and lust for “exclusive interviews” with subjects we pander to. Barry Eisler asks:
What are the warning signs, the real metrics a well-intentioned and clear-eyed journalist should consider before her subornment begins, and by which she can judge whether her integrity is slowly being compromised, corroded, and lost?
he includes:
When Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings reported in his article The Runaway General on the kind of disrespect for the civilian chain of command he saw while spending time with General Stanley McChrystal and his entourage, he had to grapple with some of the questions raised in this post (he describes that process in his excellent book, The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan). He made the right decision, and in so doing, exposed the true values and allegiances of many of his colleagues who think of themselves as journalists but in fact operate as government spokespeople. The New York Times David Brooks, for example, criticized Hastings for being part of a “culture of exposure” (don’t you hate when journalists expose things?). Also, read CBS reporter’s Lara Logan’s complaints about Hastings and his article — especially her obvious reverence for General McChrystal — and again, you’ll find a reporter who has come to identify with the powerful figures she should be holding to account.
and
“Have you accepted an invitation to the White House Correspondents Dinner?” really deserves its own special category because when you get that invitation, and you start thinking about all the reasons you should accept it, warning klaxons should be sounding in your mind.
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paulafroelich posted this
