You Can Quality Reporting About the Guts of the Iraqi Political Situation -- But From the Columnists Only

To the extent the Iraqi political situation has been reported on in the last week, what we've heard is American officials saying that it is critical that the Iraqis form a government of national unity, and that the consequnces if they don't will be dire, plus the fact that the opening of the new government has been delayed.

Nothing substantive on any progress they might by making towards that goal.

Well the Post has all the details on that progress -- but it's being reported by one of their foriegn policy columnists, not by one of their reporters.

The Post's straight news reporting does include mention of the poltiical situation today, because the new parliment has opened. With that as the new hook, the narrative frame is the idea that the opening was purely symbolic, while the real talks continue as before, with nothing new, the same positions, the same stalemate, the same problems, the same bad news (particularly since the same bad news is repeated as context for the continuing lack of political progress.)

Beyond the simple fact that the Parliment opened, read the two pieces and ask yourself: which one left me better informed, or with more new information about the situation?

Then ask yourself how and why a columnist is writing better news coverage than a straight news reporter.

Update: Although the Post's other foreign policy columnist writes more of a traditional opinion piece (in that he presents a particular position he advocates for) you'll learn more about what's going on from his column, too.

Comments

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Hey, Cori? What verb that title?

[Dan, California Yankee]

Ignatius' column offers cause for more optimism about Iraq than we see from the Democrats or the main stream media.

[Exguru]

Ignatius is covering his ass, as we have seen from many like him, e.g., Tom Friedman at NYTimes. Gradually they are beginning to see the likely end to Iraq as a U.S. success, and don't want to be standing in the station when the train pulls out. The convening of the Assembly was more than you say, though, because it starts the clock on the 60 day countdown toward naming the cabinet. It is looking better and better. I've seen reports Sistani wants al-Jaafari to stand aside, and that he will, but the Shia are trying to get some concessions for his doing so. The Kurds are the heros in all this, and actually threatened to unite with all the others against the Shia rather than accept al-Jaafari. Apparently, they will accept about any other Shia for P.M., but not him. (He reads Noam Chomsky in his spare time, so this augurs well for free Iraq.)