almost couldn’t believe the
range of tones and subject Links
matter, the enormous
University of Lincoln:
knowledge he drew to it
www.lincoln.ac.uk
and the surprising subjects
NUJ interview with
that he wrote about,
Richard Keeble:
whether it was upturned
www.onrecord.org.uk
trousers or state-financed
washing-up services or the
George Orwell’s ‘As I
railings around the Houses
Please’ columns:
of Parliament. He invented
http://whitewolf.
in a way the modern
newcastle.edu.au/words/
discipline of Cultural
authors/O/OrwellGeorge/
Studies.
essay/tribune/
Phillip Knightley has
Phillip Knightley’s
also been an enormous
website:
inspiration to me. He
www.phillipknightley.
wrote the seminal text on
com
war reporting called The
John Pilger’s website:
First Casualty, which is
http://www.johnpilger.
a brilliant text – original,
com/
doing enough to counter it. increasingly powerful. for all kinds of reasons. In
witty, very insightful. He
So it’s clear that there is Whilst the Act is supposedly any case journalists are
has managed to win the
Darren Guy’s 2003
institutional racism across scratching away at that, tied up with dominant
respect of journalists both
interview with William
many areas of our society it does appear to have institutions. They’re going
in the mainstream and
Blum:
and within the media in the ability to escape to live and work alongside
the non-mainstream. As a
http://www.
particular, yes. the probe of the media soldiers so they become
professional, he is a man
catalystmedia.org.uk/
The most overt forms and politicians. That to part of the military
with enormous stamina:
issues/nerve2/blum.htm
come in the popular press me is one of the most machine.
he’s quite old now, but
and the mid-market press worrying developments of The most famous exposé
until quite recently I know
– The Express, etc., where contemporary society. story from a war was
he worked seven days
there are consistent In a war situation, Seymour Hersh’s My Lai
a week. I’m not saying
campaigns against is an ‘embedded’ story [from the Vietnam
that’s good, but he is
immigrants which are journalist really better War]. Hersh worked in
enormously resourceful
quite appalling and have than no journalist at libraries in Washington
and has inspired me a lot
been condemned by the all? and realised that the
in the area of the analysis
European institutions It depends how the data was contradictory,
of war coverage. He’s been
and ethical bodies in this embedded journalist that this village had been
a good model. I’ve just
country. Newspapers such operates. If they make it obliterated, then he worked
co-edited a new book
as The Independent and very clear that they are from there. So in order
called Communicating
The Guardian and a whole propagandists for the to get the great stories
War: Memory, Media and
host of magazines are doing military, and that their work about war you don’t have
Military, and at the front
a lot of very impressive stuff should be balanced by to go to the front. It might
of it I highlight Pilger and
to try and counter that. The journalists working outside be something that the
Knightley for special praise.
Independent for example the military then that’s fine. journalists’ industry in an
Finishing the interview,
is very strong on human But what has happened is ideal world could demand – we
I noticed the quotation on
rights issues. that since the early 80s will not go to the front unless
Keeble’s punky badge:
Do you think that journalists have been you pledge not to give us
Propaganda is to
journalists need embedded and they’ve misinformation – because
a democracy what
to make more use tended to set the agenda journalists could potentially
violence is to a
of the Freedom of for the coverage of wars have quite a lot of power.
dictatorship.
Information Act? which last a very short time. Finally, If you could
It’s a quote from
Yes. There are enormous Gulf War 1 was 42 days, only choose two
journalist William Blum,
opportunities to probe Gulf War 2 was 21 days. The modern heroes of
an outspoken critic of
into Britain’s institutions attack on Libya in 1986 was journalism, who would
US foreign policy. In the
through the Freedom of 11.5 minutes. they be?
introduction to his 2003
Information Act. A lot Within that context the George Orwell has
interview with Blum, Darren
of extremely interesting reports coming from the been a hero. He was always
Guy said of Blum:
stories have emerged front have a seductive engaged politically and I
Tap into his website
from it, but the paradox appeal – they give the find that a great inspiration.
and the FBI will
is that the most forward- appearance of what’s going Orwell always wrote with
immediately open up a
looking act is in America on in the war when in fact great wit, knowledge, and
file on you.
and we know that the it’s only a very small part with sensitive original
Such are the hazards
Administration there is of what’s going on. So, yes, reading at the back of his
facing journalists today!
becoming increasingly journalists should go to war writing. I recently read his
secretive in its operations. but it needs to be from a eighty ‘As I Please’ columns,
Neil Paddison is a freelance writer
And in this culture the very critical perspective, which he wrote for Tribune.
and regular contributor to Media
secret society is becoming and that has not happened It was an utter delight – I Magazine.
24 MediaMagazine | February 2008 | english and media centre
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