Jonathan Charles says:

Dear Dave,
I can see why your blog is getting a lot of attention. It’s an interesting read.

If I’m allowed a `right to reply’ to your blog, I am a big supporter of the internet and blogging. I believe that it is an addition,though, to traditional journalism and not a replacement. What I meant by `you can’t do that on a google search ‘ is that too much journalism is being done by just sitting at a computer, doing a google search, rather than tracking down primary sources and seeing things at first hand. There’s little that can beat eyewitness journalism.

Just to clarify what I meant about coverage of Afghanistan, it’s not that sending a crew to cover a NATO airstrike on a village would take too long, rendering it out of date, it’s that it would be just too dangerous for a western crew to go remote areas. Often they are in Taliban areas and would be too great a kidnap risk.No news editor would take the risk. As you know, in television, without the pictures, it’s hard to give the story the same weight.

Anyway, I’m glad you enjoyed the talk. Keep up the good work on the blog.

Best wishes,JC