Buying the War: how did the mainstream media get it so wrong?

My take on seeing Buying the War? What's yours? Go to the Moyers Blog and see the post show comments as well. Post or comment here.

We had to see it a few days later because of committments, but it was wonderful and disheartening at the same time. It used to be a reporter's mission to raise questions, seek other sources to confirm, but only the Knight-Ridder service reporters and editors did that when the country most needed it. The fact that their stories were not picked up by mainstream media allowed those in power to misuse that power.

Two things come to mind: 1) I talked to a friend back then about not having enough evidence to go to war, my friend said "This is America. We have a free press and no one will be able to escape that scrutiny." I, who had access to smaller papers, said there are some stories saying the evidence is not real. He said, "They're not in the [New York] Times or Washington Post. What's to worry? The press will look out for us."

2) As an instructor of online research I've often asked two questions of first time students, "Should you believe anything you see on the screen? and Do you know the difference between the key words you are searching for and the relevance of what they mean on the webpage on which you've found them?" I used to joke that it was a good thing people running the country don't cherrypick their research the way you do in your first papers.

I don't make that joke anymore. I wish they hadn't turned it into a joke either,

Thanks, Bill Moyers, Jonathan Landay, and Warren Strobel.

From Moyers Talker Bill T.

After the First Weekly Journal - Our Post

Here's what I posted on the Moyers Blog today after viewing the first Bill Moyers Journal program. Join me and add comments there and here. - Bill Trzeciak

A wonderful and significant start to the weekly series. Bill Moyers and Jon Stewart in the same room, talking to each other, and to us who admire both of them so much for what they have helped us learn about our national civic responsbilities. Talking Points' Josh Marshall was also compelling. There are others who matter, but what a great start to what is going to be the must view of the week.

Now, like our local MoyersTalkers group, I hope other people around the country get together at a library or someplace in their community and talk about the issues raised on this show and blog with all of us here. Those who can post can bring to the conversation the comments of others who haven't yet figured out how to exercise free speech electronically, or you can teach them to blog in such a group. Let's not keep Bill Moyers just to ourselves. He's raising questions for all of us and wants all of us to share with him.

The New Weekly Bill Moyers Journal Starts Tonight!

We'll all be watching. Tune in and post your comments about the topics in the show to the Moyers Blog and add your comments here to our local blog.

For example: What is your favorite Jon Stewart moment? How do you feel about the way media is handling the firings of the federal prosecutors? How about how Congress and the White House are?

And for those of you who watched "The Buying of the War" on Wednesday, how about creating a post about your reaction to that so that others may add comments to it? Did you post a comment on the Moyers Blog?

Here's the newsletter From Moyers Update:

NEWSLETTER - Friday, April 27, 2007

"Washington is the opposite of Olympic diving. In that, in Olympic diving, you take the high score and the low score and you throw it out as the extremes. In Washington, those are the two people you listen to."- Jon Stewart

This week on Bill Moyers Journal (check local listings):

Jon Stewart - What's so funny about the media's cozy relationship with Washington today? The host of the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart talks to Bill Moyers. Watch a clip on The Moyers Blog.

Josh Marshall - The popular political blogger from talkingpointsmemo.com gives the Journal his perspective on the role of politics in the recent firings of federal prosecutors.

Bill Moyers remembers journalist David Halberstam. On The Moyers Blog

Read more from Knight Ridder's Warren Strobel and Jonathan Landay from Wednesday night's special premiere "Buying the War."

Respond to a candid interview with Bill Moyers from The Christian Century. Each week, video, transcripts, and further resources and investigations from Bill Moyers Journal is available online at www.pbs.org/moyers.

Tune in, log on and tell us what you think, and we'll see you Fridays on PBS and everyday at pbs.org/moyers.

To subscribe or unsubscribe from the Moyers newsletter, click here.