I posted this on Okrent's ombudsman forum over at the NYTs. FYI

[hansolsen]

This newspaper owes us a full dress review of conditions in Iraq.
Enough of the two handed reporters pandering to the press releases of each campaign. We need a fact checking, straight up or down analysis of what the is happening in Iraq.

Story one is on the insurgency -- who are they, how many of them are there, and who is giving them sanctuary. What the do they want? And how many Iraqis want us to stay in Iraq and kill more of their fellow citizens. Due date of this story: two weeks.

Story two is on reconstruction -- electricity, water, sanitation, food, jobs, oil, etc. Who the is doing what? Is anybody doing anything? How often are the lights on in Baghdad? In the Green Zone? Due date of this story: three weeks.

No reporters on the ground in Iraq able to do this??!! -- then we need a third story written -- why the Times no longer is able to report the news.

At the very least the Times could have a front page story saying conditions on the ground in Iraq are so terrible it is impossible for the NYTs to know what is going on in Iraq.

And just exactly why is it the readers need to point out this kind of thing. Where the hell is Bill Keller and why isn't he doing his job?

Copy Pinch.

[Hornito]

1. Bill Keller is a neocon of the first order. Good luck on trying to

get the NYT's to provide anything not "neocon approved", at least when it comes to Iraq, Iran, and Israel.

[hansolsen]

3. Yes, I see that, and have made that same point to them directly. All

to no avail, of course.

[AP]

2. Ask them if there's a connection between their editorial in favor of the

Venezuela coupand their crappy Iraq coverage and if it's just part of one big problem the NYT has with telling the truth about anything that relates to corporate profits overseas.

[npincus]

4. the NYT had a bleak Iraq status cover story some weeks ago

but they do need an update and soon, I agree.

And I agree the "insurgents" are under-reported and under-analyzed by the media... are so many thousands really coming through the borders or are these ordinary Iraqis radicalized by our occupation and just want us to get the hell out? I suspect they are mainly the latter. So, our enemies are the people we are there to help, and we are slaughtering each other- for what?