Soldier's Take On Iraq...

I view The Christian Science Monitor are less biased and more honest deliverer of news than The New York Times. CSM tends to more thoroughly convey various viewpoints and experiences without having to meet the litmus test of the agenda that the New York Times needs to deliver to its constituents.

On Iraq, CSM has been both critical and understanding and the piece here on the soldiers thoughts gives both their stories and feelings. CSM also delves into why the MSM tends to have a narrow focus on reporting bombings killings and kidnappings with little else since most reporters do and cannot venture out to gather real stories. Maybe this is part of what the terrorists are trying to achieve in Iraq, is forcing the western media to report on the "biggest explosions" while leaving the smaller more positive accomplishments unreported.

Yet the Iraq of Corporal Mayer's memory is not solely a place of death and loss. It is also a place of hope. It is the hope of the town of Hit, which he saw transform from an insurgent stronghold to a place where kids played on Marine trucks. It is the hope of villagers who whispered where roadside bombs were hidden. But most of all, it is the hope he saw in a young Iraqi girl who loved pens and Oreo cookies.

Like many soldiers and marines returning from Iraq, Mayer looks at the bleak portrayal of the war at home with perplexity - if not annoyance. It is a perception gap that has put the military and media at odds, as troops complain that the media care only about death tolls, while the media counter that their job is to look at the broader picture, not through the soda straw of troops' individual experiences.

I will put CSM on my news organization blogroll, they deserve it and I should be scanning their front page everyday anyway.