So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits--and the President--Failed on Iraq | 
| Author: Greg Mitchell
Creators: Joseph L. Galloway, Bruce Springsteen
Publisher: Union Square Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 76004
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1
ISBN: 1402756577
Dewey Decimal Number: 956.704431
EAN: 9781402756573
ASIN: 1402756577
Publication Date: March 4, 2008
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Book Description
In early 2003, Greg Mitchell was one of the few mainstream journalists to seriously question the stated reasons for invading Iraq. In the years since, he has repeatedly challenged the media to probe the conduct of the war and its toll on our troops. Now, after five years of war, he traces the conflict -- from the "runup" to the "surge" -- and the media's coverage of it, in this important collection of commentaries with significant new additions: an original introduction and dozens of pages of fresh material that unify the essays. If a free press is the watchdog of democracy, then Greg Mitchell must be the watchdog of the watchdogs, tracking the performance of the media at Editor & Publisher, the influential magazine of the newspaper industry. Over the past five years, in his widely read column, "Pressing Issues," he has repeatedly been ahead of the curve in intensely scrutinizing both the president and the press--and the controversies swirling around Donald Rumsfeld, Pat Tillman, "Scooter" Libby, Ann Coulter and numerous other figures. His book is a unique history of the entire war--and as topical as today's headlines. Whether writing early warnings that anticipated a long and bloody war, analyzing Stephen Colbert's in-his-face mockery of George W. Bush, or imagining the president confessing his sins to Oprah Winfrey, Greg Mitchell explores how we got into the war in Iraq--and why we just can't seem to get out. With tens of thousands of American troops still in Iraq, debate over the war continues to rage on TV news and across editorial pages. Against this backdrop of controversy, Greg Mitchell is the rare journalist who has seen it all with clear eyes. In So Wrong for So Long, he can finally tell the whole story.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Facts get in the way of a good story July 14, 2008
3 out of 13 found this review helpful
I have read Greg Mitchell's work for years on E&P. Ever since Bush won re-election Mitchell has been trying to re-create the excitement in the world of Journalism experienced in the 60s with Vietnam. He has put his career on hold and has written almost exclusively about Bush and the war. That is not necesarily a bad thing but he has never interviewed Bush or high ranking military officials. He has never taken the opportunity to go to Iraq and actually see for himself what is going on, and eevn though it is generally agreed things are getting better Mitchell refuses to see anything that contradicts his world view. This book is just a reprint of his self indulgent columns with his continued ignorance of the facts. For those looking to purchase this book that aren't raging liberals like Greg and the other reviewers here you can catch some of his more liberal rants at Ariana Huffingtons site who is a well known liberal whacko. He also has been a contributor to the Far Left liberal website the DailyKos
 A must-read: This book provides a month-by-month history of current events (and yes, I'm aware of the inherent contradiction) May 13, 2008
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Greg Mitchell is a talented writer, but even if not he should be listened to closely. He is one of those (like Barack Obama) who has proven to have been right early, and right often, about some of the most serious events of our recent past.
But though, as I say, Mr. Mitchell has been proved right, the tone of this book is not one of "I told you so," such as you or I might write. Rather it is one of great sorrow over the human costs of this waste of a war:
The thousands of military deaths, not only in combat but those who have killed themselves. Something not enough people are talking about.
I'd bet on this being one of the books on Iraq which stands the test of time.
Bushs use of fear & the fear of Bush by the press April 12, 2008
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
A must read to see how the fourth leg of our country let us DOWN
 More of Mitchell March 26, 2008
12 out of 35 found this review helpful
I've enjoyed reading Mitchell in the past, and this book is fine as it goes, but, unfortunately, it offers nothing new. Mitchell has been opposing both the war and the Bush administration since day one in his op/eds in Editor & Publisher. This book just carries on the same tradition.
I write this because I expected a bit more from this book than just a rehash of what he has been saying all along. What really gets me is how so many in the media are now saying how they should have done more to oppose the war when their job is to provide us with information so we can decide for ourselves what to do. For instance, Michell's article on Bill Moyer's piece criticizing the news reporting on the war was one step shy of total endorsement. So I'm not at all surprised the Moyers returned the favor by praising Mitchell's book.
I just don't understand how journalists are now saying that their coverage lacked criticism of the Bush administration when there are solid research based studies out there that say the exact opposite; for instance, Bush's War: Media Bias and Justifications for War in a Terrorist Age (Communication, Media, and Politics). The author here states that after about 8 weeks following 9/11 that the mainstream media actually began to frame their stories to paint Bush as the enemy. The media and Mitchell ignore these works. I wanted a larger conversation than just with those who oppose the Iraq War.
I also wanted to see someone take on the academic studies, not ignore them because they don't support their point of view. I mean, the information is out there, so how does one explain it? Anyway, if you have not read much of Mitchell's work, then this book will summarize well his (and by extension the mainstream media's) view of media coverage of the war; if you have read Mitchell, then it will seem like a walk down memory lane.
Puts it all in perspective! March 25, 2008
10 out of 13 found this review helpful
This book gives an excellent account of events leading up to Bush's War, and puts the nightly/daily news in perspective. I now look at 24/7 news channels differently, realizing that they need "stories" to fill their air time, even if those stories are only rumors, suggestions, and innuendo. Viewer beware!!
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