How blogging ended the newspaper industry

Or not, as explained perfectly by Allison Hantschel.

Also on this topic, please refer to John Nichols and Robert McChesney, two of this country's greatest media know-it-alls.

Allison: her aim is still true

Want some big-time exposure in major media? First, it helps to be a pro-war Pentagon general. It's also a good idea to be wrong about a lot of things. That's good for job security. Or, I suppose, you could go the whole hog of setting policy and fixing intelligence to help propagandize the American public, then take your story to the people. You could probably even find a university to hire you, if you've done all that.

On the other hand, you may have been right all along. What do you do then? If you're Allison Hantschel, there's still a spot on the radio dial for you somewhere. Last week it was on "A Critical Ear" with host Andrew Baoill, broadcast from Urbana, Illinois. You can listen to it here.

Doug Feith reviews Allison Hantschel; Allison responds

At the bottom of Allison Hantschel's review of Doug Feith's new book with a really serious title, War and Decision (which Allison read so we don't have to), she tells us that without mentioning Allison's book by name, Doug does seem to acknowledge its existence:

He does refer sarcastically to people who "view reading the New Yorker as research"

So there's your one-sentence dismissal of Allison's book. Here is Allison's 19-sentence review of Doug's book:

The book proceeds as a list, which I'll paraphrase here:

I was born.

I grew up.

Kind of.

I work at the Pentagon!

Old school liberals aren't pussies! They're hawks! Richard Perle is awesome!

Being a lawyer sucks.

9/11.

I shook the president's hand! I was in a meeting! I wrote a policy paper! Rumsfeld listens to me! The president listens to me! Everybody listens to me!

The president didn't want to go to war, except that he did, and we didn't make him, except that we have enormous influence, which is impossible to resist.

I hate Seymour Hersh.

Colin Powell is an asshole.

The CIA sucks.

WAR!!!!

Acronyms. Operational details. Tom Clancy.

WAR!!!!

Whoa, war sucks.

Here's what Bush screwed up to make the war suck.

Let me teach you my ways, so that you might replicate my phenomenal successes.

I think I can safely say that this is what Sarah Boxer might call "bloggy writing" (Sarah's definition: "It is conversational and reckless, composed on the fly for anonymous intimates"). I can also say I GET IT, and thank you, Allison, for both your book on Feith and for your review of Feith's own book.

Feith's new book is selling briskly, though I don't know why. The good news is that that is new attention being focused on Allison's book this week. Here are some of the places you may read up on the continuing saga of Allison and Doug:

Long-time champion of this book, Spocko
Firedoglake
Daily Kos
Hecate
Lichbabe
Various Posts At First Draft

Allison Hantschel's Century

Yes, I did receive my copy of Allison Hantschel's It Doesn't End with Us, her new book on the history of The Daily Cardinal, University of Washington's Wisconson's [thanks jon in comments!] 100+ year-old student newspaper. Having finished it now, I have to say it didn't meet my expectations. That's a good thing.

If you haven't read it yet—and honestly, I don't know why you wouldn't at least have it on your list—you may have some pre-conceived notions of how a book like this would read. There would be lots of inside information on the University of Wisconsin, it would be filled with stories vaguely familiar to the newspaper staff, fleshed out in ways that would be interesting to Cardinal staffers. It would, in short, be niched out enough that casual passersby would not miss much by ignoring it.

Books are never that simple, though, and even the most obscure tales may have meaningful surprises within. I would argue, though, that Allison's book is not obscure in any way, intentionally or otherwise. It wears its "I-am-significant-beyond-the-particulars-I-describe" heart on its sleeve.

Right off the bat, implications trump events of the story. Beginning at the beginning, we learn of William Wesley Young, the college student who came to the University of Wisconsin from the east coast in the late 19th century to found The Daily Cardinal in 1892. Enter Big Theme #1: Buck the system, just make it happen no matter what. Young establishes the Cardinal as a completely independent student operation, setting the tone for its history by refusing to go to the University for money (a rarity, we learn, for college papers then and now). And therein is Big Theme 2: Be a maverick, go independent.

The paper gets its start, then, right around the turn of the 20th century, and this book reveals much about the American college student experience over the last hundred or so years. And there's another Big Idea at play: The significance of all this goes far beyond the confines of the Cardinal office; there's always a larger historical context for these events.

A pivotal and particularly engaging story in the Cardinal's history is that of Dick Davis, the would-be editor-in-chief. Davis is of a type in the paper's history: He is an intellectual with a strong moral sense. In a way, his inability to engage the trivial (throughout this book, the Trivial is played primarily by The Sports Pages, though there are other manifestations, such as the campus fraternities) is his undoing. There is a coup of sorts the minute Davis is seated as editor. Allison tells the story dramatically (she always does), and as you learn of Davis' pain and anger over the situation—and as you feel his ultimate frustration—another undercurrent of the story surfaces: In current parlance, we call it the red state/blue state divide. In other circumstances we might think of it as a classic struggle of brain vs. brawn, or (for Joyce fans) Shem and Shawn. In the end, Davis, the intellectual, loses his position to a more fraternity-friendly Roger LeGrand.

As the Cardinal's century moves forward from there, we see these themes come back again and again, each time with a bit different twist to them due to the larger context of shifts in the American landscape. Particularly during the Vietnam War, the Cardinal struggles mightily as it tries to adjust its moral/intellectual self to the demands of times (and, like every other American institution, it comes up short; read the book for details). World wars and imperial wars are fought, technology advances and changes everything, the middle class expands and college enrollments go up, and through it all we hear the dramatic tales of how this plays out for The Daily Cardinal as the paper itself struggles to stay afloat, changing with the times.

In the end, It Doesn't End with Us is a sweeping story of what it has meant to be a college student in America for all these years, and a reminder that surviving those years means not taking the system for granted, going it alone, keeping the bigger picture in mind, and confronting impulses of the body and impulses of the intellect, if never quite resolving any of this.

And did I mention that Allison's writing style is a real kick in the pants? It is.

Allison Hantschel soon to expand her catalog of books

Not available from William, James, alas, but Allison Hantschel's second book on journalism (It Doesn't End with Us: the story of The Daily Cardinal) tells the story of University of Wisconsin-Madison’s 115-year-old student newspaper, where Allison worked for four years, even one stint as editor-in-chief.

Of course, Allison's first book on journalism, Special Plans, remains available through William, James & Co. It even remains current, as more and more of this story is revealed in the news. Just last week we learned the true identity of one of the world's most famous crazy drunk guys—one of the various anti-heroes of the Iraq War disinformation campaign—Curveball, whose real name is Rafid Ahmed Alwan.

Early on, Allison suggested that her own book could be called Curveball, with some snappy subtitle like How the American Public Got Spun Into War or The Lies and Deception Thrown at the American Public to Get Them to Support the Most Idiotic Boondoggle Since Vietnam. You know, something catchy that you can dance to. I put the kabosh on that one, since I really wanted to get that ridiculous portrait of Douggie Feith on the cover, and I didn't want the create an identity link between Curveball and Feith. Could be confusing, you know.

I suppose we'll have to wait till Sibel Edmonds tells her whole story to get all the gaps filled on the Feith saga. Until then, we can all read Allison's story of how real journalism is supposed to work. Ms. Hantschel allowed me a peek at a chapter some time ago. It's an amazing story. I've already pre-ordered the book so I can finish what I started. You oughtta do that, too.

Steve Gilliard for Everyone

My place on the ladder of qualifications for commenting on the passing of Steve Gilliard, proprietor of The News Blog (fka Steve Gilliard’s News Blog), is just about the bottom rung. His contributions to the left/liberal/progressive blogosphere are far better accounted for elsewhere; other eulogies are more personal and hard-hitting.

But as the blogosphere mourns their loss, I have to also add my own personal note about Steve, the blogosphere, and hope that the next Steve Gilliard to come along achieves recognition beyond the online community.

Blogging has its share of detractors, but if someone asks me why I like to read blogs, I could answer with a term coined by Steve Gilliard: GOPCPA.

What do I mean? I’ll backpedal a bit to how I “met” Steve: When I was working with Allison Hantschel on Special Plans, she had selected one of Steve’s pieces for reprinting in the book. It was typical Gilliard: no punches pulled, barely-contained contempt for Douglas Feith’s entire enterprise, and particularly for Feith’s role in the AIPAC scandal. In that post, Gilliard used the acronym GOPCPA as shorthand for the Coalition Provisional Authority as put in place and directed by the GOP. It struck me, when I came across that, as one of those perfectly distilled gems you won’t find in other media; certainly no newspaper editor would let that pass. Yet there in a six-letter acronym is a summary account of Iraq under Paul Bremer--acronym as poem, acronym as punditry.

Then, when it came time to verify that my interpretation of the acronym was correct, Steve replied within minutes of my email, something close to record time for a blogger; a demographic known for its rapid response time to breaking news, but not to personal email.

Like so many bloggers, Steve had a knack for putting things simply yet forcefully and in a way that assumed sophistication in his readers.

He will be remembered as a blogger, but I will also remember him as a published author in the Informed Citizen Series, the series of books dedicated to getting the some of the best writing on the Internet into print and out to general readers. I’m very happy to have had the chance to “be his publisher,” in any context; I’m also hopeful that in the future a blogger with Steve’s talent and readership will be widely recognized not just on the Internet, but everywhere else, too.

Double header: Tom and Allison on Journey Home radio

Santa Fe's alternative, afternoon drive time talk show The Journey Home Radio Show will feature two talents from our Informed Citizen Series this Wednesday, April 11th. Diego Mulligan will interview Tom Sumner (creator of the series and author of Untidy: the blogs on Rumsfeld) and then Allison Hantschel (Special Plans: the blogs on Douglas Feith and the Faulty Intelligence that Led to War).

Tom will discuss what's working in the world of political blogging and new media journalism. Allison will talk about her role in the blogosphere as Athenae of First Draft, and the Office of Special Plans story she helped break (the Pentagon just released its full investigative report last week).

Listen to the show stream live on Santa Fe's public radio station KSFR starting 4:10 Mountain Time on April 11, or catch it on our radio page soonafter.

About Diego
Diego combines his sustainable development experience with a solid commercial broadcasting background to bring in-depth understanding and professional skill to Connections. Ten years in Santa Fe doesn't make Diego an expert on all our local issues, but you can expect him to ask the right questions and dig for some real answers. His somewhat irreverent humor will also add a welcome dash of levity to the intense gravity of today's problems.

Allison Hantschel on The Lynn Rivers Show

Allison will discuss Douglas Feith and the Office of Special Plans with former Congresswoman Lynn Rivers on The Lynn Rivers Show from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. EST April 6th, on WEMU public radio in Yipsalanti, Michigan.

About the Lynn Rivers Show
The Lynn Rivers Show debuted in September, 2004, and quickly rose to become one of the most listened-to programs on WEMU. Concentrating on public affairs and issues that affect the Washtenaw County area and beyond, the one-hour program mixes in-depth interviews with newsmakers from all around the country with listener calls and questions.

Allison Hantschel on After Downing Street

After Downing Street posted an exclusive interview with Allison Hantschel (Athenae of the blog First Draft) and reprinted her introductory essay to Special Plans, the blogs on Douglas Feith and the faulty intelligence that led us to war.

excerpt
David Swanson: It seems as the years go by and we get sort of halfway investigations into some of these things that every time somebody peers under a rock, as with Patrick Fitzgerald recently and the Libby trial, you spot Dick Cheney under there giving the orders. Is your impression that Doug Feith was really pushing this stuff of the White House, or on the contrary that he was getting direction from Rumsfeld or Cheney, or who was really guiding this?

Read the rest at AfterDowningStreet.com or listen to the 30-minute interview.

You can also watch a video of Allison at Camp Democracy in September, 2006. This video is presented courtesy of After Downing Street, and is part of the Camp Democrary DVD.

About After Downing Street
After Downing Street is a nonpartisan coalition of over 200 veterans groups, peace groups, and political activist groups that has worked since May 2005 to pressure both Congress and the media to investigate whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war. The coalition takes its name from the emergence in May and June of 2005 of several documents that quickly came to be known as the Downing Street Memos.

Allison Hantschel talking Doug Feith on radio

Special Plans: the blogs on Douglas Feith and the faulty intelligence that led to war was ahead of its time when we released it last year. Its time has come. Author Allison Hantschel will be on radio shows on both sides of the country Wednesday and Thursday next week. If you miss them live, you can listen to these interviews soonafter on our radio page.

Evening with Guy Rathbun
Feb. 21 - Wednesday 6:30p.m.
KCBX FM 90
San Luis Obispo, California
Archived at the KCBX home page and podcast on the NPR home page.

Charlottesville—Right Now hosted by Coy Barefoot
Feb. 22 - Thursday, 4:00p.m.
News Radio 1070 WINA
Virginia

Special Plans book editor on Thom Hartmann

Tom Sumner, editor of Special Plans: The blogs on Douglas Feith and the faulty intelligence that led to war, will be on the local Portland Thom Hartmann Show tomorrow morning at 6:30. Tune your radio in to AM 620 KPOJ, listen online at the KPOJ Web site, or listen afterwards anytime on our site.

This book was ahead of its time when we released it last year. Its time has come. Don't miss Tom's post the pentagon submits its book report.

The Pentagon Submits Its Book Report

The Pentagon has finished reading Allison Hantschel's book on the Douglas Feith, The Office of Special Plans, and intelligence cooking.

They also, apparently, have completed their review of Seymour Hersch's breakout reporting in "Selective Intelligence" and "The Stovepipe."

Their conclusion? Seymour, Allison, and all the bloggers featured in her book (plus plenty of others) all have been exactly right for the past several years: When the White House wanted justification to wage war in Iraq, they set up Douglas Feith and his Office of Special Plans in the basement of the Pentagon in order to find the best intelligence to make that case, and if the available intelligence was too reserved, sexed it up, as Andrew Gilligan once said (I know, I know, that got him fired--you have to have been wrong all along to keep your job and get good promotions).

The inspector general at the Pentagon, Thomas F. Gimble, charged with discovering whether Douglas Feith did anything illegal or unauthorized, has discovered that Feith's actions were neither.

In the "Evaluation Response" section of the declassified section of the report, we get this conclusion:

We believe that the continuing collaboration between the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence will significantly reduce the opportunity for the inappropriate conduct of intelligence activities outside of intelligence channels. As a result, we are not making any recommendations.

Very comforting words, to be sure, but guard your wallet when you hear we used to have a problem, but we fixed that and we need not worry any longer.

No, Douglas Feith has done no crime here, fulfulling his important duty of justifying an invasion that our own Oregon Republican Senator Gordon Smith has questioned the legality of. His only crime would be a crime against humanity, I suppose--but those kinds of crimes are so hard to pin down and can't we just move on? Everything was done by the book.

A man who takes Alexander Pope along for beach reading, Douglas Feith knows how to do things by the book.