Web logs offer up-close and uncensored views on the war
Lee Dembart/IHT IHT Monday, March 24, 2003
iht.com
PARIS One of the major technological advances between the first Gulf War and the current one has nothing to do with sophisticated weapons but a lot to do with information: the World Wide Web. It allows anyone, anywhere to post information, thoughts, pictures and opinions that can be viewed instantaneously around the globe, and several reporters have established Web logs on the war.
.
These experiments in personal journalism are the latest developments in the gathering and dissemination of news that the Internet has sparked. Unlike traditional media, they operate without layers of decision makers and gatekeepers - editors - who select what readers and viewers will see and who also provide quality control.
.
Most of the Web logs - or, simply, blogs - are coming from the war zone, so they provide firsthand reporting and not just more opinions.
.
At their best, they provide a personal, low-level view of events that tends not to be the focus of the major media.
.
On the war blogs, anyone can add comments, which further gives them a personal tone that distinguishes them from newspapers, television and radio. Nonetheless, a review of what has been posted in the past couple of weeks shows relatively few screeds.
.
One of the war blogs is the work of Kevin Sites, a CNN reporter in northern Iraq who had been posting observations and photographs from there at www.kevinsites.net - and attracting a fair amount of comment from readers. His photographs in particular show a very human side to life in Iraq.
.
Last Friday, Sites announced on the blog that CNN had told him to stop.
.
"I don't want to let you down," Sites told his readers. "I'm chronicling the events of my war experiences, the same as I always have, and I hope to come to agreement with CNN in the near future to make them available to you in some shape or form, perhaps on this site." "Thanks for participating in this remarkable forum," he wrote. "It's been a remarkable experience to be your witness here.”
.
In response to an inquiry, CNN issued a statement that said, "Covering a war for CNN and its 35 international networks and services is a full-time job, so we asked Kevin to concentrate only on that for the time being."
.
Sites did not respond to an e-mail request to discuss what had occurred or its implications.
.
BBC reporters in the war zone have their own Web log under BBC auspices to record "their impressions and personal experiences as they watch events unfold," according to the site, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/$ 2866547.stm.
.
On Thursday night, Ryan Dilley reported from Kuwait: "There can be few things as sickening as being woken from sleep by the banshee wail of a siren threatening an incoming missile. The air raid warnings, which come long after dark, seem all the more menacing. The all-clear comes only after anxious minutes of imagined explosions."
.
Another American reporter's war blog is being run by Christopher Allbritton, a free-lance writer who formerly worked for The Associated Press and The New York Daily News. He is still in New York and is asking readers to contribute money so that he can get to Iraq. In the meantime, he gathers news and links on the war from many sources and posts them, with commentary, on his blog, www.back-to-iraq.com. He also provides many details of the equipment he is gathering to take to the war.
.
Sometimes the absence of quality control shows. On Wednesday morning, Allbritton posted an item under the headline, "Tariq Aziz reportedly shot dead," that said: "Some conflicting reports here: Some rumors (from Al Jazeera) report that Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz has fled to Turkey and defected. (No links yet that I can find. Source is U.S. Army.) But another report on Al Bawaba reports that he was caught trying to enter Iraqi Kurdistan and shot dead."
.
Three hours later, another item went up: "Aziz not dead," the headline said. "Rumors unfounded."
.
Allbritton explained: "CNN and other media are reporting that Aziz has held a press conference saying he has not defected. And if he's holding press conference, it's doubtful he's dead."
.
Also, www.dearraed.blogspot.com is a war blog run by an Iraqi in Baghdad who calls himself Salam Pax. On Thursday morning he reported on the city after the first night's bombing:
.
"Today in the morning I went with my father for a ride around Baghdad and there was nothing different from yesterday. There is no curfew and cars can be seen speeding to places here and there. Shops are closed. Only some bakeries are open and of course the Ba'ath Party Centers. There are more Ba'ath people in the streets and they have more weapons. No army in the streets. We obviously still have electricity, phones are still working and we got to phone calls from abroad so the international lines are still working. Water is still running."
.
On Friday he reported: "On BBC we are watching scenes of Iraqis surrendering. My youngest cousin was muttering 'what shame' to himself, yes it is better for them to do that but still seeing them carrying that white flag makes something deep inside you cringe."
< < Back to Start of Article PARIS One of the major technological advances between the first Gulf War and the current one has nothing to do with sophisticated weapons but a lot to do with information: the World Wide Web. It allows anyone, anywhere to post information, thoughts, pictures and opinions that can be viewed instantaneously around the globe, and several reporters have established Web logs on the war.
.
These experiments in personal journalism are the latest developments in the gathering and dissemination of news that the Internet has sparked. Unlike traditional media, they operate without layers of decision makers and gatekeepers - editors - who select what readers and viewers will see and who also provide quality control.
.
Most of the Web logs - or, simply, blogs - are coming from the war zone, so they provide firsthand reporting and not just more opinions.
.
At their best, they provide a personal, low-level view of events that tends not to be the focus of the major media.
.
On the war blogs, anyone can add comments, which further gives them a personal tone that distinguishes them from newspapers, television and radio. Nonetheless, a review of what has been posted in the past couple of weeks shows relatively few screeds.
.
One of the war blogs is the work of Kevin Sites, a CNN reporter in northern Iraq who had been posting observations and photographs from there at www.kevinsites.net - and attracting a fair amount of comment from readers. His photographs in particular show a very human side to life in Iraq.
.
Last Friday, Sites announced on the blog that CNN had told him to stop.
.
"I don't want to let you down," Sites told his readers. "I'm chronicling the events of my war experiences, the same as I always have, and I hope to come to agreement with CNN in the near future to make them available to you in some shape or form, perhaps on this site." "Thanks for participating in this remarkable forum," he wrote. "It's been a remarkable experience to be your witness here.”
.
In response to an inquiry, CNN issued a statement that said, "Covering a war for CNN and its 35 international networks and services is a full-time job, so we asked Kevin to concentrate only on that for the time being."
.
Sites did not respond to an e-mail request to discuss what had occurred or its implications.
.
BBC reporters in the war zone have their own Web log under BBC auspices to record "their impressions and personal experiences as they watch events unfold," according to the site, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/$ 2866547.stm.
.
On Thursday night, Ryan Dilley reported from Kuwait: "There can be few things as sickening as being woken from sleep by the banshee wail of a siren threatening an incoming missile. The air raid warnings, which come long after dark, seem all the more menacing. The all-clear comes only after anxious minutes of imagined explosions."
.
Another American reporter's war blog is being run by Christopher Allbritton, a free-lance writer who formerly worked for The Associated Press and The New York Daily News. He is still in New York and is asking readers to contribute money so that he can get to Iraq. In the meantime, he gathers news and links on the war from many sources and posts them, with commentary, on his blog, www.back-to-iraq.com. He also provides many details of the equipment he is gathering to take to the war.
.
Sometimes the absence of quality control shows. On Wednesday morning, Allbritton posted an item under the headline, "Tariq Aziz reportedly shot dead," that said: "Some conflicting reports here: Some rumors (from Al Jazeera) report that Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz has fled to Turkey and defected. (No links yet that I can find. Source is U.S. Army.) But another report on Al Bawaba reports that he was caught trying to enter Iraqi Kurdistan and shot dead."
.
Three hours later, another item went up: "Aziz not dead," the headline said. "Rumors unfounded."
.
Allbritton explained: "CNN and other media are reporting that Aziz has held a press conference saying he has not defected. And if he's holding press conference, it's doubtful he's dead."
.
Also, www.dearraed.blogspot.com is a war blog run by an Iraqi in Baghdad who calls himself Salam Pax. On Thursday morning he reported on the city after the first night's bombing:
.
"Today in the morning I went with my father for a ride around Baghdad and there was nothing different from yesterday. There is no curfew and cars can be seen speeding to places here and there. Shops are closed. Only some bakeries are open and of course the Ba'ath Party Centers. There are more Ba'ath people in the streets and they have more weapons. No army in the streets. We obviously still have electricity, phones are still working and we got to phone calls from abroad so the international lines are still working. Water is still running."
.
On Friday he reported: "On BBC we are watching scenes of Iraqis surrendering. My youngest cousin was muttering 'what shame' to himself, yes it is better for them to do that but still seeing them carrying that white flag makes something deep inside you cringe." PARIS One of the major technological advances between the first Gulf War and the current one has nothing to do with sophisticated weapons but a lot to do with information: the World Wide Web. It allows anyone, anywhere to post information, thoughts, pictures and opinions that can be viewed instantaneously around the globe, and several reporters have established Web logs on the war.
.
These experiments in personal journalism are the latest developments in the gathering and dissemination of news that the Internet has sparked. Unlike traditional media, they operate without layers of decision makers and gatekeepers - editors - who select what readers and viewers will see and who also provide quality control.
.
Most of the Web logs - or, simply, blogs - are coming from the war zone, so they provide firsthand reporting and not just more opinions.
.
At their best, they provide a personal, low-level view of events that tends not to be the focus of the major media.
.
On the war blogs, anyone can add comments, which further gives them a personal tone that distinguishes them from newspapers, television and radio. Nonetheless, a review of what has been posted in the past couple of weeks shows relatively few screeds.
.
One of the war blogs is the work of Kevin Sites, a CNN reporter in northern Iraq who had been posting observations and photographs from there at www.kevinsites.net - and attracting a fair amount of comment from readers. His photographs in particular show a very human side to life in Iraq.
.
Last Friday, Sites announced on the blog that CNN had told him to stop.
.
"I don't want to let you down," Sites told his readers. "I'm chronicling the events of my war experiences, the same as I always have, and I hope to come to agreement with CNN in the near future to make them available to you in some shape or form, perhaps on this site." "Thanks for participating in this remarkable forum," he wrote. "It's been a remarkable experience to be your witness here.”
.
In response to an inquiry, CNN issued a statement that said, "Covering a war for CNN and its 35 international networks and services is a full-time job, so we asked Kevin to concentrate only on that for the time being."
.
Sites did not respond to an e-mail request to discuss what had occurred or its implications.
.
BBC reporters in the war zone have their own Web log under BBC auspices to record "their impressions and personal experiences as they watch events unfold," according to the site, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/$ 2866547.stm.
.
On Thursday night, Ryan Dilley reported from Kuwait: "There can be few things as sickening as being woken from sleep by the banshee wail of a siren threatening an incoming missile. The air raid warnings, which come long after dark, seem all the more menacing. The all-clear comes only after anxious minutes of imagined explosions."
.
Another American reporter's war blog is being run by Christopher Allbritton, a free-lance writer who formerly worked for The Associated Press and The New York Daily News. He is still in New York and is asking readers to contribute money so that he can get to Iraq. In the meantime, he gathers news and links on the war from many sources and posts them, with commentary, on his blog, www.back-to-iraq.com. He also provides many details of the equipment he is gathering to take to the war.
.
Sometimes the absence of quality control shows. On Wednesday morning, Allbritton posted an item under the headline, "Tariq Aziz reportedly shot dead," that said: "Some conflicting reports here: Some rumors (from Al Jazeera) report that Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz has fled to Turkey and defected. (No links yet that I can find. Source is U.S. Army.) But another report on Al Bawaba reports that he was caught trying to enter Iraqi Kurdistan and shot dead."
.
Three hours later, another item went up: "Aziz not dead," the headline said. "Rumors unfounded."
.
Allbritton explained: "CNN and other media are reporting that Aziz has held a press conference saying he has not defected. And if he's holding press conference, it's doubtful he's dead."
.
Also, www.dearraed.blogspot.com is a war blog run by an Iraqi in Baghdad who calls himself Salam Pax. On Thursday morning he reported on the city after the first night's bombing:
.
"Today in the morning I went with my father for a ride around Baghdad and there was nothing different from yesterday. There is no curfew and cars can be seen speeding to places here and there. Shops are closed. Only some bakeries are open and of course the Ba'ath Party Centers. There are more Ba'ath people in the streets and they have more weapons. No army in the streets. We obviously still have electricity, phones are still working and we got to phone calls from abroad so the international lines are still working. Water is still running."
.
On Friday he reported: "On BBC we are watching scenes of Iraqis surrendering. My youngest cousin was muttering 'what shame' to himself, yes it is better for them to do that but still seeing them carrying that white flag makes something deep inside you cringe." PARIS One of the major technological advances between the first Gulf War and the current one has nothing to do with sophisticated weapons but a lot to do with information: the World Wide Web. It allows anyone, anywhere to post information, thoughts, pictures and opinions that can be viewed instantaneously around the globe, and several reporters have established Web logs on the war.
.
These experiments in personal journalism are the latest developments in the gathering and dissemination of news that the Internet has sparked. Unlike traditional media, they operate without layers of decision makers and gatekeepers - editors - who select what readers and viewers will see and who also provide quality control.
.
Most of the Web logs - or, simply, blogs - are coming from the war zone, so they provide firsthand reporting and not just more opinions.
.
At their best, they provide a personal, low-level view of events that tends not to be the focus of the major media.
.
On the war blogs, anyone can add comments, which further gives them a personal tone that distinguishes them from newspapers, television and radio. Nonetheless, a review of what has been posted in the past couple of weeks shows relatively few screeds.
.
One of the war blogs is the work of Kevin Sites, a CNN reporter in northern Iraq who had been posting observations and photographs from there at www.kevinsites.net - and attracting a fair amount of comment from readers. His photographs in particular show a very human side to life in Iraq.
.
Last Friday, Sites announced on the blog that CNN had told him to stop.
.
"I don't want to let you down," Sites told his readers. "I'm chronicling the events of my war experiences, the same as I always have, and I hope to come to agreement with CNN in the near future to make them available to you in some shape or form, perhaps on this site." "Thanks for participating in this remarkable forum," he wrote. "It's been a remarkable experience to be your witness here.”
.
In response to an inquiry, CNN issued a statement that said, "Covering a war for instantaneously around the globe, and several reporters have established Web logs on the war.
.
These experiments in personal journalism are the latest developments in the gathering and dissemination of news that the Internet has sparked. Unlike traditional media, they operate without layers of decision makers and gatekeepers - editors - who select what readers and viewers will see and who also provide quality control.
.
Most of the Web logs - or, simply, blogs - are coming from the war zone, so they provide firsthand reporting and not just more opinions.
.
At their best, they provide a personal, low-level view of events that tends not to be the focus of the major media.
.
On the war blogs, anyone can add comments, which further gives them a personal tone that distinguishes them from newspapers, television and radio. Nonetheless, a review of what has been posted in the past couple of weeks shows relatively few screeds.
.
One of the war blogs is the work of Kevin Sites, a CNN reporter in northern Iraq who had been posting observations and photographs from there at www.kevinsites.net - and attracting a fair amount of comment from readers. His photographs in particular show a very human side to life in Iraq.
.
Last Friday, Sites announced on the blog that CNN had told him to stop.
.
"I don't want to let you down," Sites told his readers. "I'm chronicling the events of my war experiences, the same as I always have, and I hope to come to agreement with CNN in the near future to make them available to you in some shape or form, perhaps on this site." "Thanks for participating in this remarkable forum," he wrote. "It's been a remarkable experience to be your witness here.”
.
In response to an inquiry, CNN issued a statement that said, "Covering a war for CNN and its 35 international networks and services is a full-time job, so we asked Kevin to concentrate only on that for the time being."
.
Sites did not respond to an e-mail request to discuss what had occurred or its implications. |
