Michael Massing, a contributing editor of the Columbia Journalism Review, writes frequently on the press and foreign affairs. »

Now They Tell Us

The American Press and Iraq

By Michael Massing
Preface by Orville Schell

Michael Massing describes the American press coverage of the war in Iraq as "the unseen war," an ironic reference given the number of reporters in Iraq and in Doha, Qatar, the location of the Coalition Media Center with its $250,000 stage set. He argues that a combination of self-censorship, lack of real information given by the military at briefings, boosterism, and a small number of reporters familiar with Iraq and fluent in Arabic deprived the American public of reliable information while the war was going on.

Massing also is highly critical of American press coverage of the Bush administration's case for war prior to the invasion of Iraq:

"US journalists were far too reliant on sources sympathetic to the administration. Those with dissenting views—and there were more than a few—were shut out. Reflecting this, the coverage was highly deferential to the White House. This was especially apparent on the issue of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction .... Despite abundant evidence of the administration's brazen misuse of intelligence in this matter, the press repeatedly let officials get away with it."

Once Iraq was occupied and no WMDs were found, the press was quick to report on the flaws of pre-war intelligence. But as Massing's detailed analysis demonstrates, pre-war journalism was also deeply flawed, as too many reporters failed to independently evaluate administration claims about Saddam's weapons programs or the inspection process. The press's postwar "feistiness" stands in sharp contrast to its "submissiveness" and "meekness" before the war—when it might have made a difference.

Also see:

Fixed Ideas: America Since 9.11 By Joan Didion Preface by Frank Rich Joan Didion describes how, since September 11, 2001, there has been a determined effort by the administration to promote an imperial America—a "New Unilateralism"—and how, in many parts of America, there is now a "disconnect" between the government and citizens.

Fear and Loathing in George W. Bush's Washington By Elizabeth Drew Preface by Russell Baker Russell Baker in his preface writes: "In Washington an age of moral and philosophical sterility is deeply entrenched, and as Elizabeth Drew's reporting attests, the result is not pretty. "

Glory and Terror By Steven Weinberg Preface by Anthony Lewis Steven Weinberg, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, writes that America today "has an unprecedented opportunity to begin to escape from the risk of nuclear annihilation." But, he warns, President Bush is not only letting this opportunity slip away, he is, in some respects, moving in the wrong direction.

America Goes Backward By Stanley Hoffmann "Wrong assumptions, immoderate and confused ends, served by a mixture of counterproductive, inadequate, mismanaged, and, at times, scandalous means": Stanley Hoffmann's verdict on the US invasion of Iraq carries an uneasy echo of his view of the US failure in Vietnam.

The Secret Way To War By Mark Danner Preface by Frank Rich An award-winning investigative journalist evaluates the controversial American and British stratagem for the Iraq war.

Welcome to Doomsday By Bill Moyers Preface by Bill McKibben Welcome to Doomsday is an investigation into the coupling of ideology and theology, in particular the intrusion of religion into political life, in America today.

Bush's Fringe Government By Garry Wills Preface by James Carroll One of America's foremost historians looks at the state of American democracy and the influence of the Catholic Church.

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