thedrifter
10-11-05, 07:28 PM
October 17, 2005
From the Corps to al-Jazeera
Former PAO says he’s guided by values of honor, courage and commitment
By Josh Rushing
I am a Marine. I enlisted in 1990, was commissioned in 1999 and resigned last October. I am still a Marine. The core values forged in my heart from 14 years of wearing the eagle, globe and anchor are permanent.
Even now, as I have taken a position in the world of journalism, some would expect me to separate myself from my past as a nod to objectivity. However, I have stated in no uncertain terms to the national press that I have no intent of disavowing my public image as a Marine, discontinuing my private life as a devil dog or distancing myself from the institution and values I hold dear — honor, courage and commitment.
I have agreed to host a show on al-Jazeera International, a worldwide, English-language news network that will launch next spring and will have an independent editorial staff that will be separate from the Arabic-language al-Jazeera. Al-Jazeera International’s management, producers, editors and on-air talent come from venerable news channels such ABC, BBC, CNN, APTV and even Fox News. You may find this surprising, but no one in the news industry does.
The network’s launch is one of the most exciting and anticipated ventures to occur in the news industry in a long time. Broadcasts from the West have an almost myopically Western perspective. Al-Jazeera International, by comparison, will have a global perspective. Rather than one broadcast center, our network will have four: London; Doha, Qatar; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Washington. Each location will be responsible for roughly a quarter of the day’s programming. As the sun circles the Earth, so does coverage of a story. You’ll be able to watch the flavor of a story change as it is broadcast from four continents with four cultures and four perspectives in a 24-hour period.
Marines know better than most that our neighboring oceans no longer protect and separate us from the rest of the world. The first brick from that wall of isolationist thinking fell on Sept. 11, 2001. Our way of life is and will continue to be affected by other cultures. We are in a war on terrorism, and Iraq is a battle in that greater war. With a new kind of warfare, new kinds of battlefields emerge. In the information age, information is part of the battle. If 19 guys with little more than ideology and box cutters can bring about the events of Sept. 11, then we, America, must engage that ideology — and it won’t be found between your iron sites. It exists in coffee shops, madrassas and, most prevalently, in the media.
We must engage cultural ideologies wherever we can. I am lucky enough to have been given the opportunity and responsibility to fight this good fight on the Iwo Jima of information battlefields. The Arabic al-Jazeera is the world’s most influential media brand (according to 2005 “Brandchannel,” by Interbrand, a global branding consultancy). Al-Jazeera International will attract a large audience curious about the U.S. public-diplomacy message, and when the network launches in every major region of the world, I hope to be that messenger.
Al-Jazeera: The straight scoop
If we’re all honest with ourselves, how much do we really know about the Arabic Al-Jazeera and what it reports? Probably only what you’ve heard from the U.S. press. Here’s the straight scoop: It does not, nor has it ever, shown a beheading.
Al-Jazeera does receive tapes from Osama Bin Laden and his ilk. Just as the BBC received tapes from the Irish Republican Army, or as ABC has recently received and aired tapes from American al-Qaida operatives. These tapes are news, and al-Jazeera shows only what it considers newsworthy. It does not show every tape, nor does it show the entire tape. And to many, airing these tapes illustrates the foolishness of al-Qaida, exposing its flawed philosophy to critical debate.
Al-Jazeera has aired opinions that criticize the United States and what we’re doing in Iraq. This is not an uncommon opinion in its broadcast region. Al-Jazeera is banned from a number of Middle Eastern countries for giving officials from Israel airtime, a first for news in the region. It has given airtime to senior officials from the U.S. government, including President Bush; Cabinet secretaries Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld; Air Force Gen. Richard Myers; and others. Al-Jazeera also broadcast the full congressional hearings about Abu Ghraib, demonstrating to the region the novel concept of government accountability.
Having said that, al-Jazeera International is a completely different and independent network from the Arabic al-Jazeera described above. Al-Jazeera International will be transparent; we will broadcast strictly in English. No more guessing. You will be able to see, hear and understand everything said on air.
My decision to work for al-Jazeera International was one of careful consideration. I went back to my core values.
Honor? Check. I will continue to comport myself with honor.
Commitment? Check. I am fully committed to the American values I hold dear. The hope and opportunity that my son is too young to understand are bolstered by the ideas of the Constitution, such as freedom of the press; the right to life, liberty and happiness; and the equality of all mankind.
Courage? This was the toughest one.
I knew those whose view of America is based on exclusivity and small-mindedness would receive my decision negatively. I knew I would become the target of extremists. However, I also knew the Corps defines courage as doing the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons — damn the personal consequences.
So, today, as I read the bloggers’ criticisms and accusations, I go back to the courage instilled in me by the United States Marine Corps, because I know in my heart I am a patriot, an American and, most of all, a Marine — and no one ever said doing the right thing was going to be easy.
Courage? Check.
The writer, a former captain, was a public affairs officer when he left the Marine Corps last year.
Ellie
From the Corps to al-Jazeera
Former PAO says he’s guided by values of honor, courage and commitment
By Josh Rushing
I am a Marine. I enlisted in 1990, was commissioned in 1999 and resigned last October. I am still a Marine. The core values forged in my heart from 14 years of wearing the eagle, globe and anchor are permanent.
Even now, as I have taken a position in the world of journalism, some would expect me to separate myself from my past as a nod to objectivity. However, I have stated in no uncertain terms to the national press that I have no intent of disavowing my public image as a Marine, discontinuing my private life as a devil dog or distancing myself from the institution and values I hold dear — honor, courage and commitment.
I have agreed to host a show on al-Jazeera International, a worldwide, English-language news network that will launch next spring and will have an independent editorial staff that will be separate from the Arabic-language al-Jazeera. Al-Jazeera International’s management, producers, editors and on-air talent come from venerable news channels such ABC, BBC, CNN, APTV and even Fox News. You may find this surprising, but no one in the news industry does.
The network’s launch is one of the most exciting and anticipated ventures to occur in the news industry in a long time. Broadcasts from the West have an almost myopically Western perspective. Al-Jazeera International, by comparison, will have a global perspective. Rather than one broadcast center, our network will have four: London; Doha, Qatar; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Washington. Each location will be responsible for roughly a quarter of the day’s programming. As the sun circles the Earth, so does coverage of a story. You’ll be able to watch the flavor of a story change as it is broadcast from four continents with four cultures and four perspectives in a 24-hour period.
Marines know better than most that our neighboring oceans no longer protect and separate us from the rest of the world. The first brick from that wall of isolationist thinking fell on Sept. 11, 2001. Our way of life is and will continue to be affected by other cultures. We are in a war on terrorism, and Iraq is a battle in that greater war. With a new kind of warfare, new kinds of battlefields emerge. In the information age, information is part of the battle. If 19 guys with little more than ideology and box cutters can bring about the events of Sept. 11, then we, America, must engage that ideology — and it won’t be found between your iron sites. It exists in coffee shops, madrassas and, most prevalently, in the media.
We must engage cultural ideologies wherever we can. I am lucky enough to have been given the opportunity and responsibility to fight this good fight on the Iwo Jima of information battlefields. The Arabic al-Jazeera is the world’s most influential media brand (according to 2005 “Brandchannel,” by Interbrand, a global branding consultancy). Al-Jazeera International will attract a large audience curious about the U.S. public-diplomacy message, and when the network launches in every major region of the world, I hope to be that messenger.
Al-Jazeera: The straight scoop
If we’re all honest with ourselves, how much do we really know about the Arabic Al-Jazeera and what it reports? Probably only what you’ve heard from the U.S. press. Here’s the straight scoop: It does not, nor has it ever, shown a beheading.
Al-Jazeera does receive tapes from Osama Bin Laden and his ilk. Just as the BBC received tapes from the Irish Republican Army, or as ABC has recently received and aired tapes from American al-Qaida operatives. These tapes are news, and al-Jazeera shows only what it considers newsworthy. It does not show every tape, nor does it show the entire tape. And to many, airing these tapes illustrates the foolishness of al-Qaida, exposing its flawed philosophy to critical debate.
Al-Jazeera has aired opinions that criticize the United States and what we’re doing in Iraq. This is not an uncommon opinion in its broadcast region. Al-Jazeera is banned from a number of Middle Eastern countries for giving officials from Israel airtime, a first for news in the region. It has given airtime to senior officials from the U.S. government, including President Bush; Cabinet secretaries Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld; Air Force Gen. Richard Myers; and others. Al-Jazeera also broadcast the full congressional hearings about Abu Ghraib, demonstrating to the region the novel concept of government accountability.
Having said that, al-Jazeera International is a completely different and independent network from the Arabic al-Jazeera described above. Al-Jazeera International will be transparent; we will broadcast strictly in English. No more guessing. You will be able to see, hear and understand everything said on air.
My decision to work for al-Jazeera International was one of careful consideration. I went back to my core values.
Honor? Check. I will continue to comport myself with honor.
Commitment? Check. I am fully committed to the American values I hold dear. The hope and opportunity that my son is too young to understand are bolstered by the ideas of the Constitution, such as freedom of the press; the right to life, liberty and happiness; and the equality of all mankind.
Courage? This was the toughest one.
I knew those whose view of America is based on exclusivity and small-mindedness would receive my decision negatively. I knew I would become the target of extremists. However, I also knew the Corps defines courage as doing the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons — damn the personal consequences.
So, today, as I read the bloggers’ criticisms and accusations, I go back to the courage instilled in me by the United States Marine Corps, because I know in my heart I am a patriot, an American and, most of all, a Marine — and no one ever said doing the right thing was going to be easy.
Courage? Check.
The writer, a former captain, was a public affairs officer when he left the Marine Corps last year.
Ellie