Quote of the Day

Juan Cole on journalism and the media:

"...punditry is not about being right or wrong or exhibiting good judgment. It is about producing and reproducing elite American political discourse for the masses. It is more important that they can continue to justify changing elite policy than that they supported past policies that didn't work out very well. All the real reporters I know at all well are deeply unhappy at their workplaces, where they typically have wealthy far rightwing bosses who interfere from time to time in the newspaper or magazine and make the reporter's life hell."

And he has to be right. Think back to 2003 when just about every media outlet and just about every pundit signed on for the role of cheerleader. From Powell's speech at the UN to the summer of 2003 the media was utterly uncritical. The network bosses should be made to sit through taped highlights of their coverage of the war buildup and the wars early days. It was embarrassing.

Tags: Juan Cole, media, Iraq