‘Buying the War’ upcoming on PBS
Cory Bergman April 20th, 2007
Coming next Wednesday, PBS will air Buying the War (video preview), an analysis of how the media dropped the ball in the run-up to the Iraq War. Writes Greg Mitchell in Editor & Publisher, “While much of the evidence of the media’s role as cheerleaders for the war presented here is not new, it is skillfully assembled, with many fresh quotes from interviews (with the likes of Tim Russert and Walter Pincus) along with numerous embarrassing examples of past statements by journalists and pundits that proved grossly misleading or wrong.” It airs Wednesday, April 25th, at 9 PM on PBS.
5 Comments Add your own
1. Rick Ellis | April 20th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Weirdly enough, I haven’t seen the show yet, although some of my reporting on MSNBC is apparently at least tengentially mentioned.
I was interviewed by phone by one of the producers, and the review you pointed to mentioned the story, so I’m assuming it’s in there somewhere.
I can say from personal experience that at the time there was absolutely no stomach for either critical reporting on the war reporting or reporting critical of the media’s coverage.
I have a lot of respect for Moyers, and I look forward to seeing his take on this.
2. Safran | April 20th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
I might as well put this out there before it gets shoved, since it’s an 800 pound gorilla: Moyers is gonna get called on this for being a “Liberal.” It has little to nothing to do with the facts, but that will be the rebuttal.
3. G. Y. Fortune | April 23rd, 2007 at 8:28 am
Re Safran. Bill Moyers is a “liberal” in the original definition of the word–form liberty, to liberate-free Is there something wrong with that? Lables are a lazy way of dealing honestly with an important issue. Moyers has alwys been an investigator of truth, with integrity and scholarship–a dirty word in this fun and games time. Ya know, like using your mind!
4. Steve Safran | April 23rd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
No - I’m not putting a judgment on it. I just wanted to intercede and stop the obvious name-calling before it started. Like I said - it has little to do with the story, but it will no doubt be how it is dismissed.
5. invitedmedia | April 23rd, 2007 at 8:18 pm
ya’ shoulda heard him on npr today. it was good, very good.
if the shows are anything like today’s interview they’ll be worth watching.
he did say knight ridder had it pegged from the start but because they aren’t thetimes or post they were too dismissed.
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