Frontline Tackles Media and the Run-up to War in Iraq Tonight

Last month I covered an enlightening panel I attended at the National Conference for Media Reform in Memphis. "The Press at War & the War on the Press," combined with my participation in the preceeding Journalism That Matters sessions, is right in step with a new four-part Frontline series beginning tonight on PBS: News War: Secrets, Sources & Spin. A worthy examination.

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A few details:

Feb 13 | News War: Secrets, Sources & Spin (Part I)

Correspondent Lowell Bergman examines the relationship between the Bush administration and the press; the controversies surrounding the use of anonymous sources from Watergate to the present; and the unintended consequences of the Valerie Plame investigation -- a confusing and at times ugly affair that ultimately damaged both reporters' reputations and the legal protections they thought they enjoyed under the First Amendment.

Feb 20 | News War: Secrets, Sources & Spin (Part II)

The series continues with a look at the legal jeopardy faced by a number of journalists. Correspondent Lowell Bergman interviews reporters facing jail for refusing to reveal their sources and asks how much the press can reveal about secret government programs in the war on terror without jeopardizing national security. FRONTLINE examines how much of this battle is politics and whether such reporting actually harms national security.

Feb 27 | News War: What's Happening to the News (Part III)

The third part of News War puts viewers on the front lines of an epic battle over the future of news. Correspondent Lowell Bergman talks to network executives, journalists, Wall Street analysts, bloggers, and key players at Google and Yahoo! who are all battling for survival and market dominance in a rapidly changing world of news. FRONTLINE also goes inside the embattled newsroom of The Los Angeles Times.

Info on Part IV not up yet.

Trailer and access to show offerings and info here.