John Burns from the New York Times is beginning his presenation momentarily. Please feel free to post any questions to Mr. Burns on this blog.
To view a reaction to Bill Kurtis' keynote presentation yesterday, click here.
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Mr. John Burns—New York Times
ReplyDeleteMr. Burns began his presentation on a somber note, mentioning the tremendous sacrifices made by generations of Soldiers on distant battlefields.
•Burns’ father was a general officer in the Royal Air Force.
•The media cannot cover wars without the help of the military—protection, transportation.
•“There are officers and Soldiers who think of us as the enemy within.”
•“You believe only half of what you see and none of what you read.”—Burns’ father.
•An attitude exists after Vietnam and Watergate that journalists are out to uncover government conspiracies. “We’ve moved beyond those stereotypes.”
•“The eight years since 9/11 have been a learning curve for all of us.”
•Mr. Burns’ early experiences in Afghanistan were not encouraging. He distrusted official claims of Taliban casualties. This was the low point in media-military relations after 9/11.
•It was hard for the military to deal with the media who were reporting the pre-surge violence in Iraq.
•“In my view the U.S. Army is extraordinarily good at reinventing itself.”
•Then MG William General used the word, “disheartened” to describe the violence in Iraq in 2006.—“It was an extraordinary candid statement. In the history of that war it was an iconic moment.”
•We lost sight of the fact Saddam tried to persuade the world that he had weapons of mass destruction in the ensuing debate over WMD.
•Mr. Burns spoke about how he escaped from Iraqi detention prior to the overthrow of Saddam. From then on, he had a vested interest in the success of the American bid to topple the Iraqi regime.
•As Baghdad Bob spread disinformation on the eve of the fall of Baghdad, Mr. Burns pointed out that if he turned around during the media conference, Bob could see Soldiers from the Third Division behind him. Bob said to Burns, “You are too far from reality.”
•Mr. Burns was given “extraordinary access” to senior leadership in Iraq. “I was able to attend almost all the meetings, including intelligence briefings.”
•Close interaction between the military and the media fosters trust. Commanders should tell reporters that they trust them and there will be information they are given that cannot be published.
Summary:
ReplyDelete•“Be watchful in dealing with reporters. Make your own assessment of their intent.”
•It’s appropriate for the military to expect the media to be candid and straight with the military.
•“It is fair for you to say to a reporter, ‘what are you interested in.’”—Reporters are not in the deceit business.
•The military is uneasy about embedding and disembedding. Sometimes it is necessary for journalists to disembed to capture both sides of the story. Burns spoke about how he was not candid with the U.S. military when he went on a trip to Tikrit. It was clear to him the only reason why the military was going to Tikrit was to escort him. This placed his escorts in danger—a risk they would not have taken otherwise. “Lesson learned: Be straight especially when you are asking the Army to take risks with young lives.”—Mr. Burns.
•“Embeds are inevitable. They are a tremendous opportunity for the military and ourselves.”
•Observation: When Patton slapped the Soldier, despite the fact several accomplished journalists were present, the incident remained an internal issue until some months later.
•“We need you guys. We can’t cover these wars by ourselves.”
•Commanders probably wanted the Iraq story told. They wanted Americans to know what their military was undertaking.
•“What a great institution the United States Army is. I learned a lot from you guys.” “It’s not just that you protect this nation and you confront problems of extraordinary difficulty with great courage and tenacity…you are guardians of the enduring values of the United States.”—Mr. Burns.
•“If we want to look at an institution, at the enduring values that make this nation great…this is a great nation. It didn’t happen by chance…it was made men and women of extraordinary courage and compassion.”
Q&A:
ReplyDelete•Journalists are citizens first, before journalists. “The question is, ‘is he fair and responsible?’” Burns didn’t think anyone in the military would want anything but a free press. He cited the example of the Soviet Union.
•Question: Do you apply ethical standards to your bureau? Answer: “Yes, we do.” Sometimes it is necessary to remind new journalists of balance. “It’s perfectly right that we should be held to those standards ourselves. Perhaps more than we have been.” Print articles are viewed by 14 sets of eyes before they are published. Burns didn’t think standards had declined. Rather, he thought there had been an improvement in his time. Journalists need to understand they “walk around with a big club in their hands.” They need to realize the responsibility of this power.
•Ralph Peters question: Did the NYT as part rag, part responsible paper ever bother you? Particularly the disconnect between reporting from Iraq and the editorial page? Response: no, this didn’t bother Burns. He thought the editorial and news sections should be separate.