Small Wars Journal

journalism

Will Today's Media Win or Lose Information Warfare for the West?

Mon, 04/13/2020 - 12:26am
Whether during the Cold War or today, "free", open, liberal democratic societies are at an inherent disadvantage when it comes to the playing field and information flow. First, having access to information alone is not sufficient for the critical assessment of that information. Indeed, indoctrination through repetitive exposure to a particular point of view can be as harmful in that sense as complete lack of access. Nor does greater access to information by itself lead to greater security. Failure to identify and prioritize important and correct information can lead to devastating intelligence and policy failures.

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Journalist Anthony Shadid Dies in Syria at 43

Thu, 02/16/2012 - 10:06pm

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Anthony Shadid of the New York Times died Thursday in Syria, reportedly of an asthma attack.  He was 43.  Shadid was well known for his nuanced reporting on the Middle East.  His book, Night Draws Near, was one of the better books on the Iraq war, and one of the few to put a face to the Iraqis who lived amidst the tragedies of war.  The Times reported that photographer Tyler Hicks carried Shadid's body across the border into Turkey after his death.

In a statement on Thursday, Jill Abramson, the executive editor of The Times, said, “Anthony died as he lived — determined to bear witness to the transformation sweeping the Middle East and to testify to the suffering of people caught between government oppression and opposition forces.”

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