2.6.07: Reporting from Bloghdad

Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman was reported to have said “War is hell” before burning down the city of Atlanta. And how do we know? We know because valiant reporters, trained journalists, followed Sherman and wrote of his “march to the sea.” We read daily reports. War has always given birth to new means of communication.

Remember Edward R. Murrow? He made a name for himself by reporting live from the battle fields of World War II. Murrow’s radio broadcasts gave us a glimpse, through his eyes, of Hitler’s march into Vienna in 1938. We received an uncensored account of the Anschluss while relaxing in our living rooms. Later Murrow reported the London Blitz live from rooftops. War reporting would never be the same.

Do you remember Ernie Pyle? Ernie Pyle made famous a style of reporting that forever changed news. Pyle, also reporting during World War II, avoided the big story and focused on human interest stories. Pyle was less interested in generals and troop movements and more curious about the nameless soldier. His wartime reporting won him a Pulitzer Prize in 1944. His new form of communication set the standard for years to come.

And who might we remember from the battlefields of Iraq? Is it some young aspiring correspondent from the mainstream media (MSM)? Is it a recent grad from one of our finest schools of journalism? It would appear not. The means of communication which will become the standard bearer of reporting has become the countless bloggers. Inside Iraq, everyday, there are hundreds of Iraqi citizens trying to make sense out of the senseless. Inside Baghdad bloggers are trying to define problems and clarify the issues that our MSM forces seem unable to capture. These bloggers deserve our attention. We provide links to a few of these blogs below.

To them and this glorius new medium we say, “Good night, and good luck.”



Iraqi Blog #1.

Iraqi Blog #2.

Iraqi Blog #3.

Iraqi Blog #4.

Iraqi Blog #5.