Now THIS is Journalism
Molly Bingham spent 10 months in Iraq (including some as a hostage) trying to understand why the Iraqis fight, what their fundamental beliefs are, when they started, what kinds of backgrounds they come from, what education, jobs they have, and the like (excerpted from her speech).
Along these lines, the other thing I found difficult was the realization that, while I was out doing what I believe is solid journalism, there were many (journalists and normal folks alike) who would question my patriotism, or wonder how I could even think hearing and relating the perspective “from the other side” was important.
This is what journalism is. This is an exemplar of how our media has failed us, that Bingham should be extraordinary rather than mundane is a black mark on the profession of journalism.
Recall Patrick Henry’s famous speech encouraging the Second Virginia Convention, gathered on March 20, 1775, to fight the British, “Give me liberty or give me death!” Why is it that we, as Americans, presume that any Iraqi would feel any differently? If the roles were reversed, do you think for a moment that our men wouldn’t be stockpiling arms and attacking any foreign invader with the temerity to set foot on our soil, occupy our buildings of government and write us a new constitution?
Wouldn’t we as women be joining with them in any way we could? Wouldn’t the divisions between us — how we feel about President Bush, whether we’re Republican or Democrat — be put aside as we resisted a common enemy?
Traitor. Why does Bingham hate America?
We need to wake up as individuals and as a community of journalists and start asking the hard and scary questions. Questions we may not really want to know the answers to about ourselves, about our government, about what is being done in our name, and hold the responsible individuals accountable through due process in our legal or electoral system.
We need to begin to be able to look again at our government, our leadership and ourselves critically. That is what the Fourth Estate is all about. That’s what American journalism can do at its zenith. I also happen to believe that, in fact, that is the highest form of patriotism — expecting our country to live up to the promises it makes and the values it purports to hold. The role of the media in assisting the public to ensure those values are reflected in reality is undeniably failing today.
Go ahead, take a hard look in the mirror, ask the questions — if there is something in our nation that needs repair or change, that is how it will get done, by asking those questions, getting answers and reporting them.
I’m sure that’s going over like a ton of bricks. Journalists are the touchiest, whiniest, most insecure bitches on this planet. How dare you criticize them?