The Press and General Petraeus

The media has given decidedly mixed results of General Petraeus’ much awaited testimony to the U.S. Congress. After appearing before both houses of Congress, the four-star general has given a frank, yet ultimately unsatisfying, assessment of the War in Iraq. And while the obnoxious protests from the hearing room are making the anti-war left look ineffective and downright silly, there is a prevailing sentiment among the mainstream in this country that finds this war and its prosecution unacceptable. So what’s the Fourth Estate’s role in translating this testimony into decipherable language? When is this war ending? Are we winning? Is this occupation making us safer from terrorism? So far the reporting on this matter has addressed these important questions with just about as much urgency as the general’s rambling, unspecific testimony. Let’s hope we get some more analysis in the coming days instead of the ambiguous reports coming out of the press these past two days.