Independent media in a time of war, a hard-hitting new documentary featuring Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! by the Hudson Mohawk Independent Media Centerby the Hudson Mohawk Independent Media Center (www.hm.indymedia.org).

Go to:
http://www.democracynow.org/static/IMIATOW.shtml

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I urge anyone interested in issues to do with war and media and what covering war does to us journalists to take the time to read this interview with Chris Hedges, a New York Times reporter who has covered some of the most important war stories in recent years and is the author of the book, "War is a force that gives us meaning." The interview was done before the Iraq war. Here is a quote, one of many that are worth repeating, that might entice you to check this out:

"War is one of the most heady and intoxicating, addictive enterprises ever created by humankind. It has an allure, a fascination, a draw that sweeps across national lines, ethnicity, race, religion. It has perverted, corrupted, and ultimately destroyed societies and nations across the globe. The only way to guard against it is finally to understand what it does and how pernicious it is and the myths and lies that we use to cover up the fact that, at its core, war is death."

Given below is the link for the full interview:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week622/hedges.html

Enjoy!

Kalpana Sharma

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For those who are still following developments in Iraq, and want to hear some voices from within Iraq, here is a site you must check out. It's a web-based paper being put out by a group of Iraqi students in Arabic and English. It is still quite new and going through teething problems. But it is really interesting to get such news directly from the theatre of the on-going, and apparently never-ending, war in Iraq.

The site is http://www.almuajaha.com

Kalpana Sharma

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An useful site for reports on war, is the Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS). This agency focuses its news coverage on the events and global processes affecting the economic, social and political development of peoples and nations.
Here is the link to reports on the Iraq war: www.ipsnews.net/iraq/index.asp

Recommended by Rajashri Dasgupta

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Now in Our Daily Lives: Excerpts from "War Torn: Stories of War from the Women Reporters Who Covered Vietnam."
Go to: www.womensenews.org.
For more information go to: www.wartorn.net

Recommended by Ammu Joseph

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The Media section in The Guardian (http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk) is particularly useful. Each day, it carries an update of the misinformation that is being put out by the British and American authorities by the war. This has generally been repeated uncritically by the "embedded" media, and then "revised" a few days later without comment. The section has also carried a fascinating email exchange between the editor of The Daily Telegraph, which has been pro-war, and The Daily Mirror, which has been anti-war (April 4).

Another useful source is The Independent, which stands out for the quality of its reporting on the Iraq war. Robert Fisk, whose knowledge of the Middle East is far superior to that of any other journalist based in Iraq, files reports almost every day. His latest report: "The twisted language of war that is used to justify the unjustifiable" (April 7) is worth reading (http://www.independent.co.uk)

One site that gives headlines from several newspapers that give a more balanced version of what is happening in Iraq is http://www.takingsides.blogspot.com/

Kalpana Sharma

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This section will attempt to continue providing links to the latest on the issue of Media and War. If others have material that should be posted on this section, please send it to: editor@nwmindia.org

Rallying for Peace in the Wake of War - report by Ammu Joseph

New York Rallies Against War - report by Ammu Joseph

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