Frontline in Iraq

December 4, 2003 1:41 PM

The popular PBS series Frontline has done a couple investigative reports on Iraq, but for their next one they are doing something interesting: live dispatches blogging from Baghdad throughout the next few weeks as they film and conduct interviews. The finished show is set to air next month.
posted by mathowie (12 comments total)

Sweet! Frontline continues to set the standard for journalism. This is why I subscribe to PBS.
posted by RakDaddy at 1:57 PM on December 4, 2003

This might NOT be such a good idea for anyone attempting 'independent journalism'. I'm sure the propagandists in and around the Administration are going to be going over these pre-broadcast dispatches with a microscope to find sound-bytes or keywords that they can glom onto and "discredit" this "biased" report before it even airs (just as they zeroed in on the "God's Will" quote in the screenplay for The Reagans). And that would definitely put the ol' chilling-effect on professional-journalist-blogging.
posted by wendell at 2:02 PM on December 4, 2003

Wendell, did the white house ever say anything about the previous programs Frontline has done about the middle east? I'm guessing they'll ignore this just like the rest, unless the program reaches beyond the 1% (my guess) of TV watchers that might even catch regular PBS shows.
posted by mathowie at 2:11 PM on December 4, 2003

This will be good.
PBS Frontline is an even-handed, fair program.

For once, we will get accurate reporting without it being clouded by agenda. No one will be trying to skew a report in an effort to show that the war was right or wrong.

I look forward to this, and thanks for bringing it up.
posted by Seth at 2:13 PM on December 4, 2003

This must be an end of the fiscal year "oops, we overspent the budget" corrective measure.

They'd better schedule some more of those wine-and-cheese Komodo Dragon watching junkets to the Galapagos Islands with Sylvia Pojoli.
posted by troutfishing at 2:39 PM on December 4, 2003

Watching PBS is like having sex with your economics professor.
posted by the fire you left me at 3:16 PM on December 4, 2003

I'm guessing they'll ignore this just like the rest, unless the program reaches beyond the 1% (my guess) of TV watchers that might even catch regular PBS shows.
Of course, Mr. Owie, that's a sad statement on our Current Media Situation if the best source of genuinely unbiased journalism is so marginalized that the Karl Roves of our society don't have to worry about what they have to say... Still, I was assuming that the 'online dispatches' were part of the promotion of the show that could possibly allow 'Frontline' to reach beyond its usual 1%, or at least make enough buzz for more 'mainstream' media to pick up the story. Then again, if the pre-show buzz earns a hostile reaction from Bush's True Believers, it could be a prime example of "any publicity is good publicity".
posted by wendell at 3:39 PM on December 4, 2003

Wendell - I would say "bring it on". I think journalism would benefit from this process if the journalists in question are interested in pursuing something resembling the truth.
posted by 2sheets at 3:47 PM on December 4, 2003

what is this blogging thing you speak of?
posted by mikhail at 3:58 PM on December 4, 2003

i just popped for a pbs membership for two reasons:
frontline and now with bill moyers - far and away the two best reasons to resist throwing your television out the window.
posted by specialk420 at 5:21 PM on December 4, 2003

Watching PBS is like having sex with your economics professor.

You too?

"the voice" of Frontline.
posted by stbalbach at 5:31 PM on December 4, 2003

specialk420 - what is this 'television' which you refer to? I am concerned because I do not have such a thing as a 'television' which I can throw out the window.

I do have a computer but it is not quite the same, I gather.
posted by troutfishing at 8:36 PM on December 4, 2003