All the News That's Fit to Print

So poorly photoshopped image aside, I'd like to discuss the state of news in America today. I could probably go to a newsstand (at bookstores, on the street, wherever) and be inundated with news that might interest me. Which celebrity is marrying whom? Who got dumped? What did Don Imus say now? Who on earth is Anna Nicole Smith's baby's daddy? And not to belittle the situtation, but who shot who and where?

However, burried somewhere underneath all of this, perhaps on page four or mentioned in an editorial, is perhaps the most important news story of our time: the Iraq War.

As someone who keeps up with the news daily, and generally attempts to watch a few of the major networks at night, I find it interesting how little Iraq is mentioned or talked about. Aside from the glaring debates about whether we should be there (or the dropping of support for the war from people like Bill O'Reilly), no real news is coming from the arid deserts of former Babylon.

In Congress now is a major battle over the Iraq Funding Bill, and this is splattered on the news, but what about the war itself? It's non-existant.

So, in an attempt to balance this situation, I'd love to point you to things coming from Iraq or specifically about Iraq. Especially the soldiers and marines, their stories, etc. However, this becomes increasingly difficult because of the lack of coverage. Aside from an amazing article I read in Rolling Stone about a year ago (Johnny Depp in Captain Jack regalia gracing the cover), I've been disatisfied with coverage from the media, and that's our only source.

Except for the viral world. Thanks to websites like YouTube or Video Google (owned by the same company, and yet...competitors), the soldiers are able to get their stories out.

Thanks to an article from PBS blogs, you can read and see how these sites are helping our troops: You Tube Offers Soldier's Eye View of Iraq War. It's a slightly dated article, but the resource is still there.

From videos like Lazy Ramadi, a soldier's response to the SNL "Lazy Sunday" skit, to the controversial Haji Girl, to more serious fare, the soldiers and Marines are saying something...and I think it's very important that we start listening.