Is It News Before It's in the Times?

Many big newspapers have an attitude problem. It's easy to confuse with arrogance or complaisance, but I'm afraid the attitude will spell the end of these news organizations. They hate to acknowledge that they might have missed anything.

There's a good article about a retreat by the U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Five people had a hand in writing and reporting it, and it's thorough and important.

The military is backtracking from its effort to subdue the wild country in eastern Afghanistan, as the article eventually points out, just like the Russians did 20 years ago.

But it is presented as something no one knew, as a surprise. A decision was made some time ago and the actual retreat started on the 15th. That much the article says. There is no earlier article in the Times on the subject -- according to the Times search. But the issue was discussed in public reports.

I found a web site that is dedicated to pursuing coverage of foreign places "to help fill the enormous void that has grown up in coverage of the world by US news organizations." It started up in 2009 and is online only, supported by Internet advertising.

This interesting venture posed the question on January 4: "Is the US giving up the northeast?" The story discusses the military's debates over such a move, and it sure sounded like it was all over but the press conference.

U.S. Pulling Back in Afghan Valley It Called Vital to War

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