JP: Is it the fault of the Mainstream Media for not reporting enough of what is getting accomplished over in Iraq and Afghanistan? In my opinion, why the hell would anyone see the MSM as a source of reliable news from the front lines? One of the embedded reporters I recently added to the Milblogging.com database (thanks Holly) chats about "doohickeys" and "thingamajigs". I am happy to report that when I blogged, I never reported on "doohickeys".
Thunder6: Its pretty apparent to the troops on the ground that the MSM has dropped the ball. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part the MSM seems to have a difficult time grasping the ground truth. I'm not sure if this is indicative of a downward spiral in modern journalism or whether it is grounded in some gut level revulsion of anything that can't be collapsed into a sound bite. I've met several superb journalists that wrote moving stories about our missions, but in the end the stories went unpublished. Unless it is short, sexy, or violent the MSM doesn't appear interested.
JP: Out of curiosity, where do you see milblogging fitting in American history? You've had a chance to do this for some time now and you've read other milblogs. What do you think people looking back on milblogs in the war on Iraq and Afghanistan are going to say?
Thunder6: I think milblogs will eventually replace the journals that soldiers in other wars used to record their experience. Just like those journals they will become a treasure trove of information for future historians. I can't imagine how they will be perceived years from now, to be honest I am a little to close to the subject to avoid injecting my own dreams into the appraisal.
JP: Again, thanks for answering my questions. Always a good time chatting with you.
***Read past interviews with milbloggers Blackfive and American Soldier.
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