Statesman alum barred from reporting with unit in Iraq
Heath Druzin, a former Statesman state government reporter, has been barred from reporting with a U.S. Army unit attempting to secure the city of Mosul, Iraq.
Druzin left the Statesman in August to work for Stars and Stripes. The Army has rejected his request to work as an embedded reporter, covering the 1st Cavalry Division in Mosul.
According to the Stars and Stripes story, "(Druzin) would not be permitted to rejoin the unit for another reporting tour because, among other things, he wrote in a March 8 story that many Iraqi residents of Mosul would like the American soldiers to leave and hand over security tasks to Iraqi forces."
In their rejection letter, Army officials say Druzin "refused to highlight" good news from Iraq. Yet, in an amusing twist, the Stars and Stripes website links to the Druzin stories that the Army has criticized. Among the headlines: "Mosul is still open for business."
Doesn't that qualify as good news?
"The denial of the embed constitutes an attempt at censorship and it is also an illegal prior restraint under federal law," Stars and Stripes editorial director Terry Leonard says. "The military cannot tell us what stories to write or not write.”
Hear, hear.
Get Twitter updates on my blog and column and Statesman editorials.
Become a follower here. On Facebook, join the Idaho Statesman
Opinion Page Group for updates.
Delicious
Digg
Yahoo- Kevin Richert's blog
- Login or register to post comments
Vouch for Druzin
Having worked side by side with Heath Druzin, I find him to be a reporter of high character and objectivity.
He has tremendous insight and the ability to communicate effectively any kind of news event.
As an editor, I've listened to Heath dictate breaking news to me over the phone as he watched it unfold, carefully detailing events to provide meaning and understanding for readers.
The embed refusal is a huge disservice to the American public -- and to the military itself -- which requires accurate and timely news, the kind of news Heath is professionally trained and experienced to provide.
For the sake of freedom, I urge Army commanders to reconsider their order, but I have no doubt that Heath will continue to do an exemplary job at the Stars and Stripes, no matter what his assignment is.
I wondered where he was this legislative session
on the other hand, I'm glad he's safe
Maybe the Army has actually read this paper/site.
----------
Supporting nothing everywhere all day and very well.
Thank you for hollering.
Resume
No surprise here. He learned bias reporting at The Statesman.
"Mosul is still open for business" is different than "Mosul is open of business" or "Business is good in Mosul".
****
If Druzen wants to hang with the 1st Cav, he should see his local recruiter.
****
Being embedded with military is a privilege for journalists, not a right.
I think it's a bad idea to begin with.
***
I have yet to read of a journalist embedded with the Boise Police for 3 months. ISP? Fire dept?
No where else is this type of close coverage requested.
We should all follow udapimp's advice
Clap harder, durnit. We'll beat the terrorists if we just cheer louder.
Idiot.
Good Substance.
Misc, you don't need to follow me, but maybe you can follow Kocher Ali Muhammed's example. She is a lady in Kirkuk Iraq whom just started her own small business as a 'juice stand' and as an example to other women in Iraq. You know the kind of business millions of American women have the opportunity to do, but not long ago women in Iraq would not have such an opportunity. Guess it goes along with the right to vote in free elections.
Here's some good news from the 1st Cavalry:
http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/05/12/21001-red-dragons-help-kirkuk-get-
juiced/index.html
***
p.s.
Misc, I believe by you calling me an idiot you are violating the Statesman's rules of conduct by making a "personal attack". So the Statesman might be denying YOUR future access to be 'embedded' with us all here online. Don't worry, no personal offense taken- based on your post I understand your limitations.
Ha Ha
KR, your post here is a good example of what Druzin learned under your editorial leadership.
You write about Druzin writing Mosul residents want the US troops to leave and how he doesn't highlights the good news from Iraq. On first read that those two points give a rather negative cannotation about the Army's denial. It might seem like censorship as the S&S editor alleges.
But on further reading the article (thanks for the link at least) it details Druzin persistantly asking for permission to use a computer file during a period of communications black-out.
Additionaly, he published a quote from an officer he 'overheard' in a private conversation with another person. Druzin says it was during an on-the-record conversation but later Druzin says he "took the extra step of verifying the quote with the chief warrant officer before it was published." IF it was "on-the-record", why would Druzin have to 'verify' it later. And how could a conversation with someone else be an on-the-record interview? And if Druzin ADMITS he later 'verified' it with the CWO, what about the other person? Sounds like Druzin is covering himself on that one fo sur.
My point is, KR, you pick two benign points of the article that give one impression of the story, when in fact there are other more important points that support the Army's denial- you wrote NOTHING of those. That is bias reporting- and that will get you a DENIED letter from the First Cavalry- America's First Team. Hooah!
It's unhealthy to act like a drama queen outside the green zone.
Well, thats what I heard.
It distracts them before the kill. Obviously.
----------
Supporting nothing everywhere all day and very well.
Thank you for hollering.
Not a team player?
Good for Stars and Stripes for recognizing that their duty is to provide truth to their readers and not to disseminate propaganda. The grunts wanna know the lay of the land, not just what the brass wants them to see.
" The grunts wanna know".
Even a salty old deck ape like me doesn't call a soldier a "grunt". Unless you were a foot soldier, if so please accept my apology.
Links
Druzin's articles
...Residents Urge US Troops to Leave Mosul
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61187
Mosul is Still Open for Business
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61188
In this one, Druzin says "trust is paramount in today's Iraq..." and then goes on to deteriorate that trust by publishing quotes by US and Iraqi soldiers along with their names. ["hey thanks buddy."]
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61003
Wasn't Craig big on defense or something?
Payback?
At least you didn't lay him off, I think?
----------
Supporting nothing everywhere all day and very well.
Thank you for hollering.