Helping Lara Logan (updated 1/26)

Sometimes it’s hard to swim in the mainstream.

There has been much heated debate over the past few years over media coverage of the Iraq War. The Bush administration has repeatedly attacked the ‘liberal bias’ of the mainstream news industry, claiming that it doesn’t report enough of the “good news” from Iraq, and focuses instead on the sensational and violent.

Those critical of the war and the occupation say just the opposite; that the mainstream news media has ignored much of the ‘bad news’ coming out of Iraq, leaving Americans with an impression of the war based more on a desire to follow the official White House narrative than facts on the ground. MediaChannel has long been in the latter camp, sponsoring (for example) last year’s ‘Show Us the War’ project, which published video pieces showing an Iraq overrun with violence and chaos –and an administration that seemed more intent on faith and ’spin’ than reality. We at MediaChannel believe that an informed citizenry is necessary to keep our democracy viable, and we have been strong advocates of the call for all news outlets–mainstream or independent–to produce and distribute accurate stories on the situation in Iraq.

Which brings us to Lara Logan.

One would assume that Ms. Logan, as CBS chief foreign correspondent, has a fair amount of influence as to what stories she gets to cover, and that most of her important stories, once produced and delivered, will be broadcast. But when the story comes out of the mean streets of Baghdad, and doesn’t fit the officially-sanctioned narrative of Iraqis and US soldiers working arm in arm to help protect thankful Iraqi citizens, even chief foreign correspondents sometimes need to ask for help in getting it seen. Imagine our surprise recently when–over the digital transom–we received a copy of an email from a frustrated Lara Logan (see below)

In it, Logan asks for help in getting attention to what she calls “a story that is largely being ignored even though this istakingplace everysingle [sic] day in Baghdad, two blocks from where our office is located.”

The segment in question–”Battle for Haifa Street”–is a piece of first-rate journalism but one that only appears on the CBS News website–and has never been broadcast. It is a gritty, realistic look at life on the very mean streets of Baghdad, and includes interviews with civilians who complain that the US military presence is only making their lives worse and the situation more deadly.

“They told us they would bring democracy, they promised life would be better than it was under Saddam,” one told Logan.
“But they brought us nothing but death and killing. They brought mass destruction to Baghdad.”

Several bodies are shown in the two- minute segment–”some with obvious signs of torture,” as Logan points out. She also notes that her crew had to flee for their lives when they we were warned of an impending attack. While fleeing, another civilian was killed before their eyes.

Logan’s email, with the one-word subject line of ‘help’, was sent to friends and colleagues imploring them to lobby CBS to highlight that people are interested in seeing the piece. In it, Logan argues that the story is “not too gruesome to air, but rather too important to ignore… It should be seen. And people should know about this.”

We agree. And we’d like to help Ms. Logan and CBS get the piece seen, although that task would be made immeasurably easier if CBS News chief Sean McManus simply made the decision to broadcast it.

Ms. Logan, who is embedded with US forces in Iraq, was unavailable for comment. But CBS News spokeswoman Sandy Genelius told us that the segment in question was not broadcast but only run on the web because “the Executive Producer of the Evening News thought some of the images in it were a bit strong­ plus on that day the program was already packed with other Iraq news.”

Regarding Logan’s unusual email plea for “help” from friends and colleagues, Genelius said she and other CBS executives were unaware of its existence until contacted by MediaChannel. About Logan’s contention that the segment is “not too gruesome to air, but rather too important to ignore,” Genelius said “There are discussions and even disagreements everyday about what goes on air,” and noted that “One of the characteristics that makes Lara so special is her passion for her job. Of course she wants her pieces to be broadcast!”

In conclusion, Genelius added that “CBS News has aired countless hours of coverage about Iraq. It is the single most important part of our news coverage, and I hope that people will look at the sum total of what we have put on the air.”

On an average night, eight million people watch the broadcast version of the CBS Evening News. CBS company policy prohibits the disclosure of “internal analytics,” so no figures are available for the number of viewers Logan’s web-only segment has had–but it is undoubtedly far less.

See for yourself what the controversy is all about. You can watch the video here (RealPlayer required):

And don’t forget to let CBS know what you think about this outstanding example of video journalism–and help Lara Logan by telling CBS what you think about them keeping those images of the battle for Haifa Street–no matter how strong, no matter how gruesome–far from the eyes of their prime-time audience.

TEXT OF THE EMAIL FROM LARA LOGAN:

From: lara logan
Subject: help

The story below only appeared on our CBS website and was not aired on CBS. It is a story that is largely being ignored, even though this istakingplace verysingle day in central Baghdad, two blocks from where our office is located.

Our crew had to be pulled out because we got a call saying they were about to be killed, and on their way out, a civilian man was shot dead in front of them as they ran.

I would be very grateful if any of you have a chance to watch this story and pass the link on to as many people you know as possible. It should be seen. And people should know about this.

If anyone has time to send a comment to CBS – about the story – not about my request, then that would help highlight that people are interested and this is not too gruesome to air, but rather too important to ignore.

Many, many thanks.

Update: Since we posted this piece, MediaChannel has created a little echo chamber of our own. Many blogers excerpted the piece as if Lara had written them personally. In response to the comment below from “charles,” who said he saw the piece on CBS News last night, we contacted CBS and were told on Thursday evening:

that is not correct. this particular piece has not run on the cbs evening news. but there have been many pieces by lara on haifa street (and other areas of baghdad and iraq, of course), so it’s possible someone could be confused.

UPDATE: please see our latest article on the Lara Logan story here, which includes a follow-up on the points raised by commenters.

Popularity: 10% [?]

It is inexcusable that CBS does not show this kind of information to the general audience. Where are its journalism ethics? Its responsibility to inform the public? Editing “on the safe side” does not help the American public make informed decisions.

Shame!

When I try to watch the video, I get an advertisement for a cleaning product. I tired several times.

I am moved that there are journalists who are willing to present a realistic picture and story about what is happening in Iraq. This is news that should be aired; this IS news. This is what the media is for, to report as accurately as possible what is happening in the world.

Direct URL to Realplayer stream of “Haifa Street” video:
rtsp://real.tvc.cbsig.net:554/cbsnews/2007/01/18/video2371456.rm

Just copy&paste into Realplayer “File->Open” box.

Judging by Ms. Logans accent I suppose she grew up and learned her newscraft outside the USA. Sadly, the courage and ethics required to report from the War Zone while doing professional journalism is meaningless to some US news executives who will look at her work as only the perspective of one ‘alien’. Ms. Logan is a true ally of the United States.

This would definitely propose the question of how many times this happens to true journalists who are sincere in their efforts to bring truth to the american public. I miss seeing actual truth on the news, so usually spend as little time as possible watching it. They all seem to say the same thing and they all seem to look alike! Must be mass production, probably performed at an ‘globalized’ institution of some sort ;)

Well, I know that I’ll be providing to both this page and to the video itself. I’ve always been a HUGE fan of Logan. The woman’s got balls that seems to elude most of the MSM as well as the entire administration.

Any one else see ‘The Battle for Haifa Street’ on CBS last night?

I’m wondering if they perhaps decided to go ahead and air the piece due to the attention we were bringing (or were about to bring) on the their decision NOT to air it.

I’m sure we’ll be getting fresh comment from CBS tomorrow.

David Olson

Yeah, CBS; how ’bout a REAL reality show with an ACTUAL reporter?

Sorry to say, but in all likelihood Lara Logan will soon go the way of Kevin Sites, the courageous and once highly visible NBC Iraq War correspondent, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6556034/ who was quickly and unceremoniously cashiered by NBC, after showing US marines killing helpless wounded prisoners in a Fallujah mosque in Nov 2004.

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2681679

Logan’s report drives home at least two scary things about the state of our supposedly free and diligent American press:

1. That a fierce, ongoing Beirut-style urban warfare has been raging on Haifa Street for THE LAST 3 WEEKS [!?!?], within a short mile of all our assembled ‘Green Zone’ US corporate media journalists and visiting politicos, yet none of the US media, are effectively reporting on the scope and seriousness of it to the US public.

2. That this suppression of the Haifa St battle news in the US media is coinciding [coordinated?] with the Bush administration’s PR campaign here in the US for its combat “Surge” plan.

The final disturbing thought is that most of the leaders of both US political parties who ‘have just returned from the Green Zone’ and who either must have seen what is going on, or perhaps worse, allowed themselves gullibly to be led around with blinders on their eyes and cotton in their ears, are now also remaining silent and indolent about the dire Iraq situation with the American people.

Obviously, Lara Logan has not been drinking her MSM Kool_Aid. Perhaps she doesn’t understand that the bobbleheads back at corporate HQ are chemically controlled by their Republican masters. If she gets out of line again, they may have to activate the back-up implant which CBS placed in her head as a condition of employment. Not that I’m paranoid or cynical or anything . . .

In addition to the direct link to the CBS Real Stream above, here is how I was able to view the video not via the faulty link in the article:

click here

Otherwise the faulty link wanted to crash both Safari and IE.

If that last video link of the Lara Logan-Howard Kurtz smack down on the “negative Iraq War Coverage” charges dies after ~3 minutes, try this one from Crooks and Liars:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/03/26.html#a7669

I too recall seeing Lara’s peice on
Haifa Street on CBS PM news, however it
was pretty heavily edited. No actual faces of bodies in coffins or those on the streets were shown. Many faces or
bodies appeared to be deliberately blurred. The main thrust of the story
appeared to be the doctor trying to get
his family out of the area because of the constant shooting which was endless. Lara is a remarkable journalist who deserves to have this
shown unedited, and we, the public, must be able to see it. It might help
to restore some measure of valitity to
the MSM & their corporations if allowed
to offer up the entire video. A”little”
truth can’t hurt. Right?

The only reason Media Channel is getting involved is because Lara’s piece supports their viewpoint about an Iraq overrun with violence and chaos …there have been MANY MORE pieces NEVER aired by the MSM from those who actually spend time on the ground across ALL of Iraq that more than often shows a clearly different side of the complex story that is Iraq.

The Battle for Haifa was covered by major MSM media outlets For Lara to posit that its a story not being told is ludicrous. The Battle lasted for 10 hours. She makes it sound like it lasted for 10 days.

The only MSM reporter to actually cover the war from a truly balanced perspective is John Burns of the NYT–
And he disagrees with any notion that the MSM coverage in any way sanitizes the war OR represents the Bush narrative. In fact - he believes that more often than not - the coverage leans TOO far “left” by those organizations with no boots on the ground beyond one or two weeks - who are not in a position to objectively understand this complex situation in Iraq.

John has covered the war in Iraq from Day One while living in Iraq for the past four yrs. If one would bother to listen to what he has repeatedly said in interviews with Charlie Rose - one gets a far more honest omjective big picture look at this war. Or is that TOO much to ask from those who blantantly critize just to hear themselves speak. Media Channels left wing agenda overshadows any possiblity of them being objective.

The MSM has never upheld the Bush narrative of this war, least of all CBS.

Mike Yon is the only non MSM embed in Iraq who covered the war from one end of the country to the other in a fair and balanced way, with much depth and perspective, in 2005 and has now returned in 2007 where he plans on remaining for the entire year. Mike has been a critic of the Bush administration handling of this war, and of the military’s handling of the media.

OK, I watched this piece on-line. It opens with an ad for Bounty (”the quicker picker-upper”), probably the most coherent thing about this news report, which comes across mostly as chaotic and confusing, condensing a blast of interviews and information into a tiny sliver of time, such that it is incomprehensible.

It shows the US military rescuing and purportedly saving the life of a doctor, but i’m already dizzy from watching the fast cuts and pounding of alleged facts.

About the interview with the person who blames the US for making things worse, which is the sole reason for lobbying for this piece to be shown, in my opinion — who is he? His face is wrapped in a scarf, it could be anyone saying anything, and cut in and out so fast that the viewer (including me, who tries to stay on top of these events) is left dizzy and unable to process what’s being thrown at us.

At first viewing — which is all t.v. viewers would get, if it were allowed to be shown on air — it’s a confusing splatter of impressionistic comments, not an antiwar statement. Maybe Foreign Correspondent Chief Lara Logan, with her British South African accent, meant it differently but I just don’t see it’s significance or, for that matter, its coherence. I don’t think the US government loses anything by allowing it to be shown (not that they should have a say over what’s shown or not).

On the other hand, the blog entries printed here are very interesting and powerful. I especially appreciated: “CBS can show graphic shows like CSI (which manages to turn my stomach every time I attempt to watch it), but won’t show real news about our disaster in Iraq? That tells you something about their priorities.” I couldn’t agree more.

Maybe they should revert to the Bounty commercial, using the paper towels to sop up all the bloodshed. Imagine, if they could film a U.S. soldier doing this! Bounty’s sales would go through the roof!

Mitchel Cohen
Brooklyn Greens / Green Party

We need strong, honest coverage of the events in Iraq. Why is CBS playing duck and cover? Reports on the war are mainly done by guys hiding in the Green Zone. This is real as wars are, stop sugar coating death. Cordley G. Coit

The media is changing. Legislation is pending for all types of media; the internet, HD TV channels and all their little side channels, and then there is consolidation. The media companies are truly beholden to the government — and not just for using the public airwaves. Add to the mix the fact that big business advertisers tend to impose a certain covert censorship, not wanting to tie their products to controversy, and you wind up with the cowarly and craven media we have today. They simply don’t want to rock the boat. It would not be profitable.

Bob Schieffer’s post on CBS main at the time of this writing reads “can we handle the truth?” This maybe bear heavy on the media establishment in the US and maybe believe the public is not ready for the truth. The president with an approval rating of 30% manages to dispatch another 21 000 troops. Whatever the beliefs of the other 70%, they may believe these troops are at least helping the US from at least not losing. Are there mounting indicators that the US is on the back foot?

Perhaps from an accumulation of doubts, the hesitation of the powers not to screen Lara’s footage. What struck me from the video was the anti American sentiment. I read widely and am not surprised. While I agree this footage is very important and needs to be shown, it may not fit the mindsets of many about the GIs being the good guys and particularly that of 21 000 more sons and husbands on their way to Iraq putting they lives at stake, and not necessarily within the heroics the folks back home think they do. I’m not saying that is so. This is war. This sort of sentiment is however broadcast by other networks around the world. Maybe CBS considers the folks back home need to be protected! I think the nation who lay claim to be the most enlightened on earth should be able to decide for themselves whether is it “too much”.

I know Lara from a class of ‘92. Her rapid rise to the heights of international reporting is thrilling, though the dangers she is in, and the effect of the things she must be seeing on the psyche is very distressing. But that is war.

This is a test for me too see how unbiased CBS is. Lara tells it as it is. From above posts that she is a true ally of the US is interesting, but to me, though she is contracted to a major US network, it is about how true and unflinching she remains to the unbiased ethic that her profession requires.

What a bogus story by this little “they have to publish me” egotist. CBS appears to have welded an al Qaeda tape into some desperate sounding commentary and hyped it up with the usual interview of an unhappy Arab. You can find this kind of pap on Indymedia.

You want real journalism about Iraq, go to Michael Yon.

Just because she is fairly good looking doesn’t mean she should get a pass for this “look at me” stunt.

There only thing about this whole sophomoric controversy that is interesting is the fact that Logan doesn’t mind anyone with internet access knowing that she’ll do anything to promote herself. Since when is it news that gun-toting men with cloths wrapped around their heads blame America? For everything? Sheesh.

“we have been strong advocates of the call for all news outlets–mainstream or independent–to produce and distribute accurate stories on the situation in Iraq.”
So, I’m sure you are calling for Lara Logan to make it clear where she obtained the video. Now, fog of war and all, the claim that Logan is an Al Queda shill may turn out to be false. But if the fighting realy is against Al Queda, you would seem to be arguing that her report should have made that clear. After all, “an informed citizenry is necessary to keep our democracy viable.”

The video “obtained by CBS” is identical to that put out by Al-Qaeda. Why doesn’t Logan make mention of Al-Qaeda’s video? Why does she not address the implication that the footage she used was from an Al-Qaeda video? And if it’s not from the Al-Qaeda video, then how did she get footage identical to the one used by Al-Qaeda? This needs to be explained.

Logan makes no mention about the affiliation of these insurgents fighting on Haifa Street. Not even the slightest mention is made that Al-Qaeda is taking credit for the fighting there. On the contrary, we get a disguised man denouncing the Americans and the destruction they’ve done on Haifa Street. Where is the reporting on insurgent activity? The report sounded as if the USA and Iraqi forces were fighting on Haifa Street because they had nothing else to do.

This is MediaChannel’s idea of fair and accurate reporting?? MediaChannel’s credability is destroyed by this kind of blatantly sloppy and anti-USA biased reporting by Logan. MediaChannel should be investigating Logan instead of being her unpaid Publicity Agent. How can anyone believe what MediaChannel says about Iraq ever again?

This news bunny is using pre-recorded Al Qaeda footage used on Al-Jazeera last week. The swathed Arab could be anybody. I’m sick of the give-the-terrorists-the-benefit-of-the-doubt routine that is rife on all mainstream media reporting. Spend some time talking about the vast majority of Iraq that is safe. That the number of cars on the street has increased by 6 fold since 2003, that 800 colleges have opened their doors, that the economy is white hot in Iraq. Get over the “I hate Bush because he beat us in the last election syndrome” and find out the facts.

The warbloggers are still in full force. They are still claiming that all is hunky dory in Iraq and all the violence is blown up by the media.

Think about it a country with a dozen IEDs and car bombs a day, sectarian violence, major pitched battles like the one yesterday and rampant death squads is anything other than heaven on Earth.

And I will believe the crap coming from these morons on how the good news from iraq is being suppressed when they also complain about how all the good news, and all the office buildings were not blown up on 911 were not covered.

Think about it — 1 car bomb in a major American city would probably lead to months, if not years of reports. iraq, a country less than 1/10th of the US in population, gets 1 car bomb a day. Who are these morons fooling with their pathetic — Iraq is in great shape mantra ?

Logan is a shill for the terrorists.
She takes video footage from the enemy and presents it as her very own!
Reading from previous posts Logan has fooled alot of people….especially those who want to see the US fail in Iraq.

As when CNN used the enemy’s sniper video showing the killing of one of My Soldiers, Ms Logan apparently wants to use the enemy’s propoganda flick and pass it off has hard-won journalism? Sorry, not good enough.

My Soldiers do not paint a rosey picture of how it is in Iraq, they tell whole story, the stuff the MSM leaves out.

Iraw is the deadliest place for journalist, of all time. Knowing this, very few of them venture out to actually shoot their own footage and build an honest to goodness report. Can’t blame them. Too much. Actually, I blame them entirely. If My Soldiers, the IA, the Iraqis themselves can risk being out there, so can they. Afraid of being kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam? Don’t blame you. Just don’t pretend to be filing a bona fide report using the enemy’s work.

I will not watch the video nor will I ever watch CBS again if they air it. I, literally, stopped watching CNN when they aired the enemy’s sniper video.

I, too, strongly recommend you read Michael Yon to learn what’s really going on.

My MSM doesn’t get it. I don’t trust you anymore!

This story seems to have taken a sharp turn - if Lara Logan is merely fronting Al Q propaganda footage she should be sacked. And CBS should take it off their site, should apologise.

And maybe Media Matters should state where it now stands on the new info ? It appears that Logan is not pure as the driven snow - the question now is whether she has fooled Media Matters into giving coverage of what could be an appalling lapse in news reporting ethics.

The reason one thinks they’ve seen this particular piece is that it’s the same thing been run over and over again. I’ve seen the same thing not only last night but also a few times in the past. Ms Logan wouldn’t be doing a Fisk on us now would she per chance. I think the BBC might grab her up as she’s just what they look for in a reporter. I’m from N Ireland and I’ve seen what British ‘journalists’ do to a story. How they embellish - why hold it back - how they lie. Ms. Logan will get CBS into more trouble than Dan Rather ever could…

Let’s see dhimmi’s: the unidentified “complainer” of US atrocities is wearing a keyifa and another gentleman said he was “rescued” by US troops during the fighting. Apparently our troops suffer schizophrenia: do we attack people or rescue them? Maybe we should ask Al-Queda who apparently posted alot of this video from Ms. Logan before her story came out.

Lara Logan is a stupid and easily led cunt…

Typical of the mainstream media “journalists” (just like LL) to stomp their feet when their “important story” doesn’t get the air time they want it too. But when the new real journalists of the world do their work (bloggers etc), they do it with little petulance and no fanfare. So it is with the just released Free Republic report on the situation in Iraq.

http://www.freerepublic.com/CitizensReportonIraq.pdf.

It’s 86 pages long and almost no pictures. So for those who have a real, genuine interest in what is really going on in Iraq, sit down and read.

The MSM is in fantasy land.

Hmmm, I see the Right Wing smearing and Wingnut Madness has begun.

You guys are shameful.

The real story is the daily doom and gloom and the young men and women who have died for your Republican candidate.

Try risking your lives for something positive to report rather than being the PR wing of the Bush Administration, please.

You all are wolves in sheep’s clothing, you are the real enemies of the state.

The quagmire of Iraq is old news (tragically) as the coming war with Iran should instead be addressed to the fullest extent possible before it takes place sooner rather than later (perhaps even by the end of this coming April if the Scottish Sunday Herald article posted at the following URL is accurate):

Europeans fear US attack on Iran as nuclear row intensifies:

http://www.warwithoutend.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=67297

Someone should ask Logan if she is part of the 33% of the Democrats hoping for an American defeat in Iraq, as shown in a recent poll. The liberal news networks can’t even bring themselves to use the word “terrorist”, then encase an al Qaeda propaganda video in an interview with an anonymous source who is delivering al Qaeda’s talking points.

This is like the newspapers interviewing a French farmer upset because land was trampled by the Normandy invasion without bothering to mention that it was an attempt to rid Europe of the Nazis. “They promised us a better world and all the Americans did is trample my crops with their tanks”.

And the reason CBS didn’t run it was because it was too graphic? Hah!
Al Qaeda obviously needs to tone down its propaganda videos a bit if they want CBS to front them. I can see Logan getting back to them with an advisory — make the one more a long shot on the bodies, use a softer photo technique and we’re in business.

just saw the cbs vido. noticed that the “resident” rescued by US soldiers is “DR Quraish Fajir al-Kasir” a skilled and famous Surgeon of 32 years, used in an interview posted at CBS on 12 January, nearly 3 weeks prior.

lara, enjoy your honest reporting of the news. keep up the good work. Oh yess how often do you come to the states.Do you read alot,what kind of music do you like.How long will you put your self in harms way. My prayers are with you and our troops. larry

i’ll help u !!!

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