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Last week the Associated Press released a photo of a fatally wounded Marine in Afghanistan. The photo caused a big stir, especially since the soldier's family and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made multiple pleas for the A.P. not to run it. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell explains Gates' position, while A.P. Director of Photography Santiago Lyon tells us why they ultimately ran the piece.
The C.I.A. inspector general's report released this week exposed gruesome interrogation techniques used on detainees. But as the press combs through the report, is the discussion whether these practices are illegal or whether they're effective? Bob asks LA Times reporter Greg Miller whether the debate over efficacy is beside the point.
Last week, Iraqi journalists, publishers and press freedom advocates protested a new law which could impose censorship rules on the media. NPR's Deborah Amos was there. Amos explains the historical significance of censorship in Iraq and what the law says about the Iraqi prime minister.
The Gazette of Colorado Springs recently published a series about the psychological struggles of a group of Iraq War veterans who'd been arrested for violent crimes at home. But while doing that reporting, journalist Dave Philipps uncovered another story about war crimes committed in Iraq. Philipps explains why he was an unlikely reporter to be writing this piece.
Matt Mabe is one of the few people who know what it's like to be on both sides of the strained marriage between the military and the media. He left the army in 2007 to become a reporter and he was recently recalled to duty as a soldier. Mabe describes how both sides mistrust and misunderstand one another. He joins us from Afghanistan to tell his story.
This week, the Iranian government continued a harsh crackdown on protests and on news outlets covering them. Journalists were expelled from the country. Some were arrested. Others, like Tehran Bureau's Jason Rezaian, were under such severe restrictions that they couldn't effectively report. So Rezaian decided to leave and explains why.
The world watched the historic demonstrations against the Iranian regime this week. By Friday, the government had clamped down hard on journalists, whose reporting credentials were not renewed, and inside Iran access to the outside world was hard to come by. UCSD Professor Babak Rahimi was in Tehran and described his feeling of isolation.
The BBC Persian Service, a satellite channel that broadcasts into Iran, has become a major influence on Iranian society. The interactive show "Your Turn" airs calls and e-mails from those inside the country. "Your Turn" host Siavash Ardalan describes how viewers reported on the sometimes disturbing events taking place this week.
