Department Of Justice Guidelines For Investigations That Involve Journalists To Be Reviewed

Obama Orders Review Of Guidelines For Probing Journalists -- Reuters

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday he directed Attorney General Eric Holder to conduct a review of Department of Justice guidelines for investigations that involve journalists and report back by early July.

Obama has come under criticism for his administration's pursuit of journalists who have reported leaked material.

In recent weeks, it emerged that the Justice Department seized Associated Press phone records as part of a probe into leaks about a 2012 Yemen-based plot to bomb a U.S. airliner and that Fox News correspondent James Rosen had been named a "co-conspirator" in a federal leaks probe involving his reporting on North Korea.

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My Comment: So .... President Obama has ordered the Attorney General to investigate and review himself .... LOL .... I can't make this up.

Update: If this is true .... the U.S. Attorney General is out of control.

The White House 'War' Against Journalists Continues

DOJ Seized Phone Records Of Numbers Tied To Fox News Lines, Documents Show -- FOX News

Newly uncovered court documents show the Justice Department seized phone records associated with several Fox News lines as part of a leak investigation -- a revelation that comes as the White House Correspondents' Association spoke out against the administration's monitoring of reporters.

Documents from October 2011 appear to show exchanges that match the specific locations of Fox News' White House, Pentagon, State Department and other operations. The last four digits of each of the phone numbers listed are redacted in the government filing so it is impossible to know the full numbers.

Meanwhile, the Correspondents' Association spoke out on incidents involving two news organizations. The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of phone records from the Associated Press and obtained a search warrant for the personal emails of Fox News' James Rosen. The information about the phone records was uncovered Tuesday.

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More News On The DOJ Targeting Journalists As Part Of A Leak Investigation

The Justice Department and Fox News’s Phone Records -- Ryan Lizza, The New Yorker
Fox News: ‘They went into our computer servers at Fox News’ -- Erik Wemple, Washington Post
The FBI's Case for Reading a Fox News Reporter's E-mail -- Paul Barrett, Bloomberg Businessweek
In AP, Rosen investigations, government makes criminals of reporters -- Dana Milbank, Washington Post
Report: Justice Dept. seized multiple Fox News, White House phone records -- Politico

Update #1: The New York Times has a collection of opinions on "Obama, the Media and National Security".

Update #2: CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson believes that she has also been targeted by the White House.

My Comment: Criminalizing what reporters do sends a chill up my spine .... and I cannot help but feel that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Only 6% Of U.S. Voters Rate The News Media As Very Trustworthy

Only 6% Rate News Media As Very Trustworthy -- Rasmussen Reports

Most voters still get their news from television and consider the news reported by the media generally trustworthy.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of Likely U.S. Voters say they get most of their news from TV, including 32% who get it from cable news networks and 24% who get it from traditional network news. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that another 25% use the Internet as their main source of news, while only 10% still rely on print newspapers. Seven percent (7%) get most of their news from radio. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

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My Comment: Only 6% .... I though it was lower.

Update: This is not surprising .... Poll: Internet edges networks as public's source for news -- Washington Examiner

Al-Jazeera Buys Current TV

Al-Jazeera Buys Current TV -- NPR

Al-Jazeera announced Wednesday that it was acquiring Current TV, the network launched by former Vice President Al Gore.

"By acquiring Current TV, Al Jazeera will significantly expand our existing distribution footprint in the U.S., as well as increase our newsgathering and reporting efforts in America," Al-Jazeera Director General Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani said in a statement.

The new channel, Al-Jazeera America, will be based in New York. The Qatar-based Arabic-language network already operates an English-language arm, Al-Jazeera English. The New York Times reported that roughly 60 percent of the new network's programming will be produced in the U.S.; the rest will come from Al-Jazeera English.

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More News On Al Jazeera Buying Current TV

Al Jazeera Buys Al Gore’s Current TV in U.S. Expansion -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Al-Jazeera in talks to buy Current TV, gain stronger foothold in US television market -- Washington Post/AP
Al-Jazeera to Buy Current TV -- Wall Street Journal
Al Jazeera Acquires Current TV -- New York Times
Al Jazeera Completes Purchase of Current TV (Updated) -- Reuters

My Comment: They want to expand into the American market .... but will Americans want to watch their take of the news? Aside from Arab Americans, I have doubts that they will be able to penetrate the other demographics. I link to Al Jazeera stories in this blog all the time .... and while I know that their perspective is an Arab one .... I do try my best to balance things out by linking to other sources and opinions.

U.S. Distrust Of The Media Continues To Rise

U.S. Distrust In Media Hits New High -- Gallop

Fewer Americans closely following political news now than in previous election years.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' distrust in the media hit a new high this year, with 60% saying they have little or no trust in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly. Distrust is up from the past few years, when Americans were already more negative about the media than they had been in years prior to 2004.

The record distrust in the media, based on a survey conducted Sept. 6-9, 2012, also means that negativity toward the media is at an all-time high for a presidential election year. This reflects the continuation of a pattern in which negativity increases every election year compared with the year prior.

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My Comment: 40% still have some trust in the media .... hmmm .... that tells me that more work needs to be done.

Time Magazine Suspends Fareed Zakaria For A Month Over Plagiarism

Fareed Zakaria Suspended From Time Magazine For Plagiarism -- The Telegraph

Fareed Zarakia has been suspended from Time magazine after it was revealed that he had plagiarised another writer's work for one of his articles.

The international columnist and television anchor immediately apologised, saying he had made a "terrible mistake" but was also suspended from CNN, where he presents a weekly show.

Several sections of Mr Zakaria's August 20 column, entitled "The Case for Gun Control", appeared to have been taken from an article Harvard University history professor Jill Lepore published in April in The New Yorker magazine.

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My Comment: I must admit I was shocked when I read this story. I have been reading and watching Fareed Zakaria for years. While he is someone that I am almost always disagreeing with, he is also someone that I respect and admire. I have always posted his articles and comments in this blog, and I sincerely hope that CNN will not discharge him from his position nor cancel his show. He made a mistake .... and he has admitted it. Time to move on.

Fareed Zarakia's statement is here.

Update: The knives are out for him. It is going to be difficult for him to recover from this. What a shame.

9/11 'Most Memorable TV Moment In Last 50 Years'

September 11 Attacks 'Most Memorable TV Moment In Last 50 Years' -- The Telegraph

The September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center is the most memorable moment shared by US TV viewers in the last 50 years, a study has found.

The only thing that came close was John F. Kennedy's assassination and its aftermath in 1963, but that was only for people aged 55 and over who experienced those events as they happened instead of replayed as an historical artefact.

The survey, by Sony Electronics and the Nielsen TV research company, rank TV moments for their impact, not just by asking people if they remembered watching them, but if they recalled where they watched it, who they were with and whether they talked to other people about what they had seen.

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My Comment: I agree .... 9/11 and the Challenger space shuttle explosion in 1986 are the two events that I know where I was exactly when I first heard about it.

Is Pakistan's ISI Killing Journalists?

Intelligence surrounding the killing suggests Shahzad was murdered to silence his criticism. Reuters

Pakistan’s Spies Tied To Slaying Of A Journalist -- New York Times

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Obama administration officials believe that Pakistan’s powerful spy agency ordered the killing of a Pakistani journalist who had written scathing reports about the infiltration of militants in the country’s military, according to American officials.

New classified intelligence obtained before the May 29 disappearance of the journalist, Saleem Shahzad, 40, from the capital, Islamabad, and after the discovery of his mortally wounded body, showed that senior officials of the spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, directed the attack on him in an effort to silence criticism, two senior administration officials said.

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More News On the Killing Of Pakistani Journalist Saleem Shahzad

NYT: Pakistan spy agency behind reporter's death -- CBS
'NYT': Pakistani Spy Agency Ordered Journalist's Killing, U.S. Believes -- NPR
Did Pakistan have reporter killed? -- Politico
ISI ordered killing of Pak journalist: US officials -- Economic Times
Pakistan spy agency ordered journalist's murder - US officials -- The Guardian
Report: Officials Believe Pakistani Spies Ordered Killing of Pakistani Journalist -- National Journal

Being A Reporter In Pakistan Is A Very Dangerous Occupation

Adnkronos news agency via Associated Press Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad had told Human Rights Watch that he was afraid he would be killed for his reporting.

Pakistani Who Exposed al Qaeda Cell Found Slain -- Washington Times

A Pakistani journalist who wrote last week about the suspected infiltration of Pakistan's navy by al Qaeda terrorists was found dead Tuesday, two days after he went missing in Islamabad.

Syed Saleem Shahzads body was found almost 100 miles north of the Pakistani capital.His face had been battered, and he had a gunshot wound in his stomach, according to sources.

Mr. Shahzad was Pakistan bureau chief of Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online and author of “Inside al Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11.”

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Update: Leading journalist 'murdered by Pakistani security service' -- Independent

My Comment: It is cases like this one .... where Al Qaeda and Pakistan's intelligence officers appear to be working together .... that one can understand why they were left out of the loop when the U.S. Navy SEALs went after Bin Laden. Reporting on what are the links between Al Qaeda and Pakistani authorities is a death wish for those who are seeking the truth in that country.

Beer And War

What Budweiser Knows About War -- New Yorker

Watching the basketball playoffs, I’ve been struck by this Budweiser commercial, called “Coming Home,” which is in heavy rotation:

What is Budweiser advertising here? Beer, obviously, but what part of the beer experience—and what part of the war experience does it draw on? Even though the ad ends with a party, the mood is not celebration but relief at the end of a long day of work, when you are very tired. (Both of the main characters are asleep at some point in the ad.) It is notable that the welcomer is a older brother or friend—avoiding the device of the little boy who looks at the soldier and wants to be him—rather than a parent. (There’s a middle-aged couple at the party, but we see the brother calling them at another house, and the woman’s greeting is more that of an aunt’s.) This soldier is a kid—he could pass for a high school sophomore—and somewhat unmoored; going to war has not changed either of those things. He looks on the verge of tears until the very end, when everybody else is hugging him. In one shot, he dries his hands at the sink in what looks like a grim bus-terminal bathroom, and then wipes his eyes, as if he’s been crying where no one could see him. He is not the conquering hero, nor was meant to be. What he is meant to be is at home.

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My Comment: My favorite "military" commercial has always been the following ....

Update: Then again .... some are wondering if Budweiser is targeting the Gay community in their advertising.

Mobiles Are Now Propaganda Tools For Jihadists

Jihadists Use Mobiles As Propaganda Tools -- BBC

Islamic militants have developed sophisticated ways of spreading propaganda via mobile, a study suggests.

Researchers found jihadists were compiling packages of information designed to be received on smartphones.

They contained copies of videos, songs, speeches and images that followers are encouraged to pass on.

Some were using Bluetooth short-range radio technology to anonymously spread information to potential supporters.

The study was led by German researcher Nico Prucha who has spent seven years cataloging the materials put online by Jihadists.

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My Comment: Jihadists may be eager to use their smartphones to publicize their cause, but I suspect that some are now becoming nervous with news reports like this one.

'Dancing With The Stars' Is More Important Than A Presidential Address To The Nation

Before Libya, White House Must Negotiate With ABC -- New York Times

President Obama had a message for the American people Monday night, an explanation of the government’s intentions in Libya, one that he believed was important enough to request air time from the broadcast networks as well as the cable news networks.

But the administration also recognized that some networks, like ABC, had important priorities of their own: the programs they had scheduled for prime time Monday — like “Dancing with the Stars,” the second most-watched show on television.

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My Comment: It is at moments like this that I sometimes wonder if America is doomed.

The Growing Role Of Bloggers In Covering Troublespots In The World

When Unrest Stirs, Bloggers Are Already in Place -- New York Times

As the protests spread across Tunisia for weeks, many international news organizations scrambled to cover the unrest just before President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali fled on Jan. 14, ending 23 years of authoritarian rule. But Amira al-Hussaini was all over the story.

Ms. Hussaini oversaw a handful of bloggers who gathered information about the mounting protests in Tunisia for Global Voices, a volunteer-driven organization and platform that works with bloggers all over the world to translate, aggregate and link to online content. As part of its reporting, she said, the site turned to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, where other bloggers and hundreds of ordinary people stepped into the role of citizen journalists and shared their experiences, cellphone photos and videos online.

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My Comment: I concur with this analysis. I now find more information from bloggers (who can write English) than from the major news networks and wire services on most major international news story. I expect this trend to continue, especially as the internet becomes the main source of information for most readers.

Update: Internet will soon be top choice to get news in America as it overtakes newspapers for first time -- The Daily Mail

U.S. Air Force Blocks News Sites That Posted Wikileaks Documents

At least 25 sites, including the New York Times site, have been barred. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

Air Force Blocks Access to News Sites That Posted Wikileaks Documents -- FOX News

The U.S. Air Force has blocked access on its network to more than 25 media websites, including the New York Times, that have posted the secret U.S. diplomatic cables obtained and released by the site WikiLeaks.

The Air Force started blocking the sites in August to avoid having "classified incidents on our unclassified systems," Maj. Toni Tones, a spokeswoman for the Air Force Space Command, told FoxNews.com.

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More News On The U.S. Air Force Blocking News Web Sites

Air Force Limits Access to Web Sites Over Secret Cables -- New York Times
Air Force Blocks Media Sites -- Wall Street Journal
Air Force cutting off access to WikiLeaks news -- CNN
Air Force blocks media sites that post WikiLeaks -- AP
US air force blocks staff from websites carrying WikiLeaks cables -- The Guardian
U.S. Air Force blocks NYT and Guardian over WikiLeaks -- Reuters
Air Force Blocks News Websites With Wikileaks Materials -- ABC News
Report: Air Force Blocks Access To WikiLeaks-Related Sites -- NPR
Air Force Blocks WikiLeaks-Publishing Times Website -- The Danger Room
U.S. Air Force blocks access to news sites -- UPI

My Comment: This censorship will be probably rescinded when the uproar has gone away.

The Difference Between Military Recruiting In The U.S. And Sweden

Hat Tip: One Thing To See

My Comment: Duty, Honor, Country .... on one ad. On the other ad, a picture of what the real world is like.

I prefer the USMC ad, but the Swedish ad is more accurate on what is "out there".

The Book 'Obama's Wars" To Be Released September 27

Bob Woodward's New Book, 'Obama's Wars,' To Be Released Sept. 27 -- ABC News

ABC News' Diane Sawyer Will Speak to Woodward in an Exclusive Interview About Much-Anticipated Book.

Journalist and author Bob Woodward will speak to ABC News' Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview about his much-anticipated first book on the administration of President Obama. The book, "Obama's Wars," is set for release Sept. 27.

After working behind the scenes for 18 months, Woodward will provide an insider's account of Obama at work with his team. Drawing on internal memos, classified documents, meeting notes and hundreds of hours of interviews, Woodward focuses on Obama's critical decisions about the wars abroad and the worldwide fight against terrorism.

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More News On Bob Woodard's New Book "Obama's Wars"

Woodward book to be called 'Obama's Wars' -- AP
Obama to get the Woodward treatment -- USA Today
Bob Woodward Cover Unveiled for Obama's Wars -- Media Bistro
New Bob Woodward Book on Obama Focuses on War, Not Economy -- Politics Daily

The Dangerous Life Of Being A Journalist In Russia

Mikhail Beketov, an editor, was beaten severely in 2008. James Hill for The New York Times

Russian Journalists, Fighting Graft, Pay in Blood -- New York Times

KHIMKI, Russia — Mikhail Beketov had been warned, but would not stop writing. About dubious land deals. Crooked loans. Under-the-table hush money. All evidence, he argued in his newspaper, of rampant corruption in this Moscow suburb.

“Last spring, I called for the resignation of the city’s leadership,” Mr. Beketov said in one of his final editorials. “A few days later, my automobile was blown up. What is next for me?”

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My Comment: One can also say the same thing about Russian bloggers, and the dangers of publishing "bad" news in Russia today.

New U.S. Policy: You Cannot Name Your Enemy

From PJTV:

The Obama administration, on a roll, will now ban the words Islam and jihad – words that appeared hundreds of times in the 9/11 Commission report - from our national security documents. Watch the latest Sharia & Jihad Review and comment here: http://pjtv.com/v/3351

Hat Tip: ELP Defens(c)e Blog

The Use of Language To Define The Other Side

Words as Weapons: Dropping the ‘Terrorism’ Bomb -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — Words can be weapons, too. So after nearly every new report of political violence, whether merely plotted or actually carried out, there is a vocabulary debate: Should it be labeled “terrorism”?

When early reports of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s shooting spree at Fort Hood, Tex., in November mentioned his personal problems and failed to apply the T-word, activists on the right cried foul: He’s a radical Muslim terrorist, they said, and only political correctness run amok could argue otherwise.

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My Comment: George Orwell was the best writer on the use of language to frame political discussion and policy. His book "Politics And The English Language" is a classic in this regard .... which the New York Times tries but does not even come close to matching in this post.

For a free pdf copy of George orwell's book "Politics and The English Language", go here.

Update: Obama bans terms Jihad, Islam -- Jerusalem Post/AP

Is The BBC And VOA Arms Of The CIA And MI6?

Iran Police Chief Accuses Voice Of America, BBC Of Being Arms Of CIA, Britain's MI-6 -- Canadian Press

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's police chief on Saturday accused the Voice of America and the BBC of being the arms of U.S. and British intelligence agencies, and warned of severe repercussions for journalists and activists caught having contacts with them, state media reported.

Gen. Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam, whose police forces have played a key role in the government crackdown on protesters since Iran's disputed presidential election, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying opposition activists have co-operated with the BBC and the Voice of America "with the aim of weakening and overthrowing the (ruling) system."

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More News On Iran's War Against The Foreign Media

Iran renews warning against cooperating with foreign media -- AFP
VOA, BBC, Deutsche Welle Condemn Iran for Blocking Broadcasts -- Voice of America
Iran accused of jamming foreign broadcasts -- AFP
Voice of America, BBC and Deutsche Welle condemn new wave of Iranian jamming -- Canadian Press
Iran's disruption of Deutsche Welle and other media ends -- Deutsche Welle