Michael Yon will continue to turn to his online audience to support his reporting from Iraq, which he will make available at no cost to the National Newspaper Association.
Major media figures like Brian Williams have complained of not being able to report effectively on the war in Iraq. News organizations have pulled out reporters, making it more difficult to get an accurate account of what happens in the country to the American audience.
Yon’s résumé includes a stint with the US Army’s Green Berets. Most recently, he’s been a steady reporter from the ground in Iraq, one who does the kind of objective, good with the bad, reporting that almost seems quaint to the jaded media observer.
Yon thinks people need to hear the news about Iraq, beyond what get filtered through major news organizations. To counter this, Yon has offered his news and photos to the National Newspaper Association, free of charge.
“It probably won’t be enough just to make the news I am reporting available to NNA-member publications at no cost,” Yon said in his blog post. “There may need to be a little irritating sand in order to get a pearl out of this oyster.”
Blog readers can serve as that “sand,” by asking their local papers to pick up on Yon’s stories. Those papers will have to be NNA members to be able to participate.
Further, Yon works off of a shoestring budget, and says he is entirely reader-supported. We wonder what excuse major news organizations in the US can make for not matching his effort with reporters and backing.
