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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| NYT profiles Michael Yon |
| 2008-01-21 |
| A very fair, honest look at this war's Ernie Pyle. Michael Yon was not a journalist, and he wasn’t sure what a blogger was. He had been in uniform but not in combat, and he wanted to keep it that way. He went to Iraq thinking he would stay for a month, and maybe find a way to write about the war after he got home. Instead, he has spent most of the last three years in Iraq, writing prolifically and graphically, and racking up more time embedded with combat units than any other journalist, according to the United States military. He has been shot at, buffeted by explosions and seen more people maimed — fighters and civilians, adults and children — than he can count. “The easiest thing in the world to write about is combat, because all the drama is there,” said Mr. Yon, a fit, ruddy-faced 43-year-old who was a Special Forces soldier more than two decades ago. He insists that he still does not really know the rules of journalism, but says he has recently, grudgingly, accepted that he has become a journalist. . . . Mr. Yon, however, does not work for any organization; no news outlet pays him for the hundreds of dispatches and photos he has produced. He publishes his work on his own Web site, michaelyon-online.com (some will appear again in a book set for release in April), and he also posts submissions from military people serving in Iraq. He says contributions from his readers have paid most of his costs, though he declines to say how much they have given. . . . He went to Iraq believing that the mainstream news media were bungling the story, and he still often criticizes the media’s pessimism. But he has also praised particular reporters from major outlets, or defended the media in general, explaining how difficult and dangerous it is to cover the war. Along the way, he created a niche outlet that is better reported than most blogs, and more opinionated than most news reporting, with enough first-hand observation, clarity and skepticism to put many professional journalists to shame. . . . |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #8 Well, according to my Freshman Logic™, the NYT stock should zero out and become worthless around October or November......just sayin'. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2008-01-21 22:44 |
| #7 Like most bloggers, Mr. Yon has an agenda And the New York Times doesn't... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-01-21 19:36 |
| #6 This confirms it. The NYT is a "day" late and, quite literally, a dollar short. Again. Good riddance, I say. |
| Posted by: eltoroverde 2008-01-21 13:53 |
| #5 I'm glad that the MSM is stuck on Stupid and I hope they never co-opt the real quality bloggers and/or the Soldier/Marine journalist. The NYSlimes deserves to DIE Fifty Five thousand pitiless Deaths if for nothing but the Lies they told during the 60s in Vietnam and after... the peerless ones, each convey a unique slant to the reader, with integrity and respect to our Marines, Soldiers and to the indigenous folks they cover. Michael Yon, Bill Roggio, Michael J. Totten, etc. |
| Posted by: RD 2008-01-21 13:02 |
| #4 At first I thought it a petty, jealous piece to that the writer worked hard to fit into the NYT narrative. "seen more people maimed — fighters and civilians, adults and children — than he can count." But I think what is really going on is that the NYT reporters have seen their recent stock quotes and are looking to Michael Yon to see what reporting opportunites exist after they receive their forthcoming pink slips from the NYT. NYT STOCK QUOTE LINK for your viewing pleasure. |
| Posted by: Whomong Guelph4611 2008-01-21 12:28 |
| #3 The MSM is missing a bet by not recruiting a slew of Iraq and Afghanistan vets to be their future war correspondents Vets have cooties, especially those with combat experience. Didncha know? |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-01-21 09:39 |
| #2 The NYT commenting on Yon is like a buggy-whip manufacturer commenting on the advent of the automobile: he's come to understand that a significant development is going on, but he hasn't figured out what to do about it. |
| Posted by: Matt 2008-01-21 09:32 |
| #1 The MSM is missing a bet by not recruiting a slew of Iraq and Afghanistan vets to be their future war correspondents. They just don't get it that people who have never left the US or had any real world experience, usually know zip about anything other than what they see on TV. This makes them lousy reporters, much less "journalists". They quality of their news would jump if they would pay for just a few vets to cover wars -- which in turn would increase their sales strongly. But theirs is a penny wise, pound foolish approach. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-01-21 08:50 |