In the News
MRE condemns 1st Cav decision to bar Stars & Stripes reporter
MRE President Ron Martz has strongly condemned attempts by a commander in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division to bar a Stars and Stripes reporter from embedding with his unit because he did not feel that the reporter, Heath Druzin, was writing enough "good news" stories about his unit's efforts in Mosul, Iraq.
In a strongly worded letter to Bryan Whitman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Martz called the actions by the commander of the division's 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat team "unacceptable" and a violation of "both the spirit and the letter of the embed guidelines that Military Reporters & Editors and many other journalists have worked so diligently to implement since long before the initial invasion of Iraq in March 2003."
Read the full text of the letter here and the Stars and Stripes story on the issue here.
Read Editor & Publisher's story here.
Military judge orders San Diego reporter to testify in Marine's court-martial
By Greg Moran, Union-Tribune Staff Writer
June 15, 2009
CAMP PENDLETON – A military judge has ordered a news reporter to obey a subpoena and testify in the case of a Camp Pendleton Marine who is facing a court-martial for an interview he gave over the handling of classified material.
In a 12-page ruling released Monday, Cmdr. Kevin O'Neil said the rights of the accused, Pvt. Gary Maziarz, to a fair trial outweigh the First Amendment rights claimed by Rick Rogers, a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Maziarz is facing a charge of willfully disobeying a direct order. Prosecutors say he was under orders not to discuss his role in a ring of Marines who passed top-secret intelligence files on individuals under surveillance to a Los Angeles civilian law enforcement agency.
In 2007, Maziarz pleaded guilty to mishandling classified material and theft of government property and was released from the brig last July. Afterward, Rogers interviewed him for a story that was published in November 2008.
In a subsequent story, Maziarz said he had not been ordered to stay away from the news media and that his lawyer then, appointed by the military, approved his speaking with the newspaper.
Maziarz's new lawyer says Rogers' testimony about his conversations with Maziarz seeking the interview is needed to rebut the charge that he “willfully” disobeyed the order.
The newspaper's lawyer sought to quash the subpoena, saying the First Amendment rights of a reporter to gather news and the California shield law protect reporters from liability for refusing to reveal sources and unpublished information.
The subpoena presented a potential conflict, because there is no federal shield law for reporters. The question is even more unsettled when it comes to military courts.
In the ruling, O'Neil said he did not have to decide if federal law protects reporters, or if it would apply to military courts, but instead decided the issue based on the state shield law.
That law has exceptions and is not an absolute guard in criminal cases, where a defendant's rights to a fair trial must also be weighed. In this case, O'Neil said the information being sought was not confidential or sensitive; Rogers would not be revealing a confidential source; the information is crucial to Maziarz's defense; and there is no other source for the information.
“There is no new reporter purpose served by Mr. Rogers refusing to disclose his contact and discussions with the accused in his attempt to secure a post-conviction interview,” O'Neil wrote.
David Brahms, the lawyer for Maziarz, said he was “obviously happy with the decision.” Guylyn Cummins, the lawyer for the paper, said the ruling was narrow and related only to the unique facts of this case.
“He did the safest thing possible and applied the state shield law,” she said. “We're talking about a narrow issue here – whether the defendant refused to talk to Rick Rogers up to a certain date and then decided to and why.”
Karin Winner, editor of the Union-Tribune, said the newspaper was disappointed with the ruling and is weighing its next step.
Click here for story
Medill students provide MRE with national security briefs
In an effort to keep our Web site more timely and topical, MRE, working in conjunction with the students of Medill News Service, will be providing summaries of some of the top national security stories on our site four days a week. Students, working under the direction of MRE member Ellen Shearer, will summarize in a few paragraphs the significance of the stories and provide links to the stories. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact MRE President Ron Martz directly at ronmartzmre@gmail.com.
Medill Students Uncover Millions in Privately Sponsored Trips for Pentagon Officials
June 10, 2009
Washington -- Three years after Medill uncovered millions in privately sponsored trips for members of Congress and their staffs, Medill’s graduate student reporters have done it again – this time for Pentagon personnel in a year-long project that has revealed some startling numbers.
See press release
Click here for stories
MRE Headlines
Your contributions needed for military stylebook
Ever have a copy editor who didn't know the difference between an M-16 and an MRE? Or an managing editor who thought everyone in uniform as a "soldier?"
Most times the errors the news media make on military terminology are far more subtle than this, such as using "ordinance" instead of "ordnance," calling a Bradley Fighting Vehicle a "tank," or referring to an individual who "won" a medal for valor as opposed to "being awarded" or "earning" the medal.
But no matter how minor the errors, they reflect poorly on the media and resonate among those who have served in uniform. As the number of those in the media without military experience increases, those errors are likely to occur with more frequency.
Now, the good folks at Stars & Stripes are putting together a military stylebook similar to the AP stylebook that will help us, and our editors, avoid some of these more common mistakes. If you have examples, whether egregrious or subtle, of errors in military terminology that have been made in print, video, or audio, please send them along to Thomas Ruyle, an Army veteran of Iraq now a copy editor at Stars & Stripes, at ruylet@stripes.osd.mil.
Once the stylebook is completed, we will link to it from the MRE Web site so it will be accessible to members and non-members.
MRE at crossroads; needs your input
Military Reporters & Editors has a simple mission – supporting our members’ efforts to chronicle the story of our armed forces while trying to promote greater awareness and understanding of U.S. troops in war and peace.
Obviously, our industry and many of our colleagues are suffering. The number of journalists reporting on the military is down. This year is one of the worst in a bad decade for journalism, but our charter hasn’t changed and, indeed, our coverage of the military in Iraq, Afghanistan and at home is more important now than it’s ever been since 9-11.
But MRE is at a crossroads. Our board is debating whether we should press ahead with our annual conference, which typically occurs in Washington in early- to mid-November. Your feedback will determine if our one-day conference happens, or if we “go dark” for a year in order to improve our financial situation in 2010 and hope that the overall economy improves as well.
We are asking for your guidance by completing the survey here at SurveyMonkey. There are only 10 simple questions and you don’t have to give your name. Please complete the survey by the end of June. The MRE officers and board of directions will meet July 11 to consider your answers and make a determination whether to hold a conference this year.
We also ask that if you have not renewed your membership, you do so now, and ask that you encourage others who support our cause to join or make a tax-deductible contribution. We could never have gotten off the ground in 2002 without the support of so many people who believed in our mission, and many others who came to our first conference at the Holiday Inn on the Hill.
So you matter – now more than ever.
Wanted: your stories on dealing with ethical issues while embedded
Dear MRE members and friends:
In late August I will be presenting an academic paper on behalf of MRE at a conference at Fort Leavenworth on “The U.S. Army and the Media in Wartime: Historical Perspectives.” The tentative title for the paper is “Ethics and Embedded Journalists: Beyond Industry Imposed Guidelines on Objectivity and Balance.”
The thesis of the paper is to demonstrate from a historical perspective that while the media and the military still have somewhat tenuous relations, those American combat correspondents who live and travel with front-line troops have demonstrated repeatedly since the Civil War that when faced with difficult ethical situations, they more often than not do what is right for news consumers, for their industry and for those on whom they are reporting.
The paper will trace the lineage of embedded correspondents from the Civil War to Ernie Pyle in World War II, Joe Galloway in Vietnam, and any number of journalists during Desert Storm and Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom who faced ethical issues but were able to present balanced accounts of what they saw and heard.
The paper will rely largely on anecdotal information. If you or anyone you know who has embedded with forces in any conflict has encountered ethical issues related to your reporting, I would like to hear from you. Since this will be an academic paper, you do not need to be identified in the paper if you choose to retain your anonymity.
Please contact me at ronmartzmre@gmail.com or rlmartz@hotmail.com if you would like to provide information for this paper. I will need your contributions by the end of June.I look forward to hearing from you.
Ron Martz
Free Military-Media workshop at Fort Leavenworth available in September
Journalists are welcome to apply to attend the Media and the Military workshop, a week-long program designed to help reporters, editors, producers, and bloggers learn more about covering the military. The workshop, which will be held Sept. 20 - 25 in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., provides an opportunity for journalists to learn about military training and strategy by embedding for a week with enlisted soldiers and officers. The program pays for all journalists' expenses, including lodging, meals, and airfare. Funded by the McCormick Foundation, the workshop is coordinated by the University of Kansas journalism school and the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth.
To apply, please contact Justin Hilley at: jhilley@ku.edu
Deadline for MRE journalism contest extend to June 1
In an effort to accommodate as many of our members and others in the journalism community, the deadline for entries for the 2009 MRE journalism contest is being extended to June 1.
For full details on the contest rules and an entry form, click here. If you need additional information about the contest, call MRE executive assistant Salome Angrand at 202-661-0141.
Macon Telegraph seeking military affairs reporter
The Telegraph, a McClatchy newspaper located in Macon, Ga., has an opening for a reporter to write about military issues and to cover Robins Air Force Base, the largest industrial employer in Middle Georgia with more than 20,000 military and civilian employees. Candidates with proven experience covering the military are highly preferred. We will also consider candidates with knowledge of military affairs plus significant experience covering high profile stories, including investigative and in-depth enterprise work. We seek a seasoned writer who can not only report authoritatively about the military, but clearly translate military and Defense Department developments for both military and civilian readers. Knowledge of the BRAC process would be a plus.
Send or e-mail resume, relevant clips, references, and cover letter to: Sherrie Marshall, Editor, The Telegraph, 120 Broadway, Macon, GA. 31201, or smarshall@macon.com.
Freelance Opportunity
Stephens Media, a newspaper group whose flagship is the Las Vegas
Review-Journal, is seeking writers familiar with the military to contribute
to a project that will profile U.S. service members who have been
recognized for heroism in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are looking for
knowledgeable people to interview individuals by assignment and produce
crisp pieces of about 500-600 words telling their stories. Ability to
shoot photos a plus. Please respond by May 22 with your resume, letter
detailing your relevant background and no more than three writing samples.
Send to STetreault@stephensmedia.com
Journalists Embedded in Iraq Needed for Research Project
A group of master's degree students at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health are currently working on a research project examining the level of violence experienced by members of the military who have fought in Iraq and have returned to the U.S. As part of the study, they will be selecting a nationwide random sample of returned Iraq veterans to interview. The project was developed and is led by a fellow student and veteran who recently returned from a tour in Iraq with the U.S. Army.
The research project will also compare the level of violence experienced by soldiers to that experienced by other relevant parties, including embedded journalists. Specifically, we would like to examine the level of violence experienced by journalists during their embedded period, discuss their work products from that time, and ultimately compare their perceptions of the level of violence in Iraq with that of the soldiers themselves.
Our goal is to survey at least 40 embedded or formerly embedded journalists in the next two weeks. Each interview is estimated to take 30 minutes. We are committed to providing the highest level of confidentiality for participants. Currently we are trying to cultivate a pool of potential interviewees for the study.
If you are interested in participating in this study, contact Cathy Baroang at cah2157@columbia.edu..
Journalists and PTSD: Examples needed for ongoing research
The issue of the effects on journalists of repeated exposure to war zones is something many of us have chatted about informally, and which the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma has dealt with on a regular basis.But the more we talk about it, the more easily we will be able to confront the issue. Now comes another opportunity to air your views about the subject. Meghan Cooke, a senior journalism student at the University of North Carolina, is doing an honors thesis on the subject and needs the assistance of MRE members. Here's what Meghan is trying to do:
"I'm looking for journalists or photographers who have covered war or conflict, but by no means am I assuming that anyone I interview has actually experienced PTSD. In fact, I want to interview journalists who have no experience with PTSD. The larger issue in which I'm trying to delve concerns whether or not war reporters would feel comfortable seeking treatment should they have symptoms of the disorder. Some people I've spoken with have suggested that the notion of working objectively prevents war reporters from feeling as though they need treatment."
She said the interviews will take 30-45 minutes and can be kept off the record, if you prefer.
If you would like to provide information for her thesis, please contact her directly at megcooke@email.unc.edu.
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