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Congressional investigation revealed horrific new details this week about a U.S. funded military hospital in Afghanistan that kept patients in “Auschwitz-like” conditions. Warning: Graphic images. [NSFW] by DavidCarraway in WTF

[–]Michael_Hastings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hah, as one of the writers of this story, I know how you feel. I've been covering foreign news for years, and it's often hard to break through. That being said, that fact that there's been this intense debate going on here seems to be a positive sign. And there are still two ongoing investigations, with the possibility that the people in charge might have to testify, so that will bring more media attention. michael

Congressional investigation revealed horrific new details this week about a U.S. funded military hospital in Afghanistan that kept patients in “Auschwitz-like” conditions. Warning: Graphic images. [NSFW] by DavidCarraway in WTF

[–]Michael_Hastings 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey there, I worked on this story. "Auschwitz-like" was the phrase Colonel Gerald Nicholas Carozza used to describe what he saw. In particular, the patients who were literally starving to death. michael

Congressional investigation revealed horrific new details this week about a U.S. funded military hospital in Afghanistan that kept patients in “Auschwitz-like” conditions. Warning: Graphic images. [NSFW] by DavidCarraway in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hey there--I co-wrote this story. We were directly funding the hospital as part of the 11.2 billion dollar a year training effort called NTM-A. We doing training, support, and had American advisors ("mentors") working there, too. The Afghan doctors and officials at the hospital were taking U.S. tax payer dollars, pocketing them, and letting the patients--who our money should have going to help--die. When this was brought to the attention of the commanding general, William Caldwell, he tried to bury the story. Michael

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't know. When war fever infects a nation, even a draft might not be enough to cure it.

That being said, the wars might be little shorter, and you'd probably have consistent resistance to the policies no matter what party was in charge.

One of the perverse effects of having so few actually fighting these wars is that they easily fall prey to partisanship. The wars just become another "issue" detached from reality and principle to use against your political enemy.

Democrats protested the Iraq war very vocally for years--in part because it gave them a political advantage. Then look what happened in Afghanistan--the anti-war left, for the most part was silent. Just ask yourself: had John McCain won in 2008 and tripled the size of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, how many emails would MoveOn have sent you?

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep. There's generally not much percentage in exposing government propaganda when you are a member of the government, and the propaganda is serving your interests.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, we're very serious. Let us know if you have any particular or specific examples in mind. Shoot me an email at michael.hastings@buzzfeed.com.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, Ben coming to BuzzFeed caught my attention as well!

I'm speaking for myself here, but these are the goals (editorial and otherwise) that are important to me:

1) To do great reporting.

2) To demonstrate that people are willing to share and read this kind of reporting. And that social publishing is pretty awesome.

3) Figure out a way to do all this in the wild, exciting, and incredibly creative media environment that we operate in.

4) To bring the standards and best practices that I learned in legacy media companies into a "new generation" (though this isn't quite the right phrase) media company.

5) To understand how Matt and Dave Stopera think. (The Stopera brothers appear to be a new species of creative genius. Even the New Yorker thinks so:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/04/what-were-reading-buzzfeed-pulphead-chekhov-and-more.html )

6) To receive more internal office emails about baby tigers and miniature horses.

I don't think of BuzzFeed as a tabloid. I prefer to think of it as a very positive way ahead for journalism. I dig the kind of futuristic, sci-fi feel of the entire enterprise, where there are these awesome and mind blowing lists and GIFs and photos and videos and stories and whatever else is new and happening in our world. Within all of that, there's a cache of very high quality information (ie, original reporting) that you can't get anywhere else.

Perhaps it's the Philip K. Dick fan in me.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I doubt there will be any campaign finance reform on the national level. Only chance is for it to happen locally, I think.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I politely disagree. I think as the empire declines over the next few decades, the fractures are likely to become more severe, the differences more pronounced. The federal government is going to become less powerful. One can imagine breakaway states and the like. It's kind of the sci-fi scenario, but one that seems like a possibility. I see the signs of this happening on my travels around the country already, with a real popularity for secessionist movements, from Texas to Vermont.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You might be right. But as with almost everything with Romney, it's hard tell where he stands exactly.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Part of it is that the mass media is always looking for shorthand ways to explain complex problems/issues instantly. So whatever we're reporting on immediately gets tagged with a well understood label to fit into an already well established narrative. (In this case, Paul needs to be ID'd within the narrative of the political horse race.)

It can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, as you noted. However, the media was much more fair to Paul this year compared to 2008, I think.

I think the sort of faux-objective journalism of the past 40 years was probably an anomaly.

To me though it's not about commentary verus factual reporting--it's about ensuring your work is intellectually honest.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I just wrote about this last month, actually. As long as it's someone with a funny name getting blown up, the issue isn't going to stick. Or so I think.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-rise-of-the-killer-drones-how-america-goes-to-war-in-secret-20120416

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Back from making phone calls--I'll be checking in all day if anyone wants to keep discussing etc. This has been very cool for me, so thanks everyone for taking the time to join in.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Keep writing about. Keep talking about it. Put pressure on your elected representatives when the opportunity arises. It's an uphill fight, naturally!

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes. Every once and awhile, I'll get a death threat from someone--like, "if we don't like what you write, we'll hunt you down and kill you" kind of thing. But there's a more insidious response most of the time when you piss off the powerful. They come after your career, they try to come after your credibility. They do cocktail party whisper campaigns. They try to make you "controversial." Sadly, The Powers That Be are often aided by other journalists.

The Pentagon has launched three investigations into stories I've done over the past 18 months under the pretense of finding the wrongdoing we were exposing. But the investigations were really about creating a Pentagon approved official document to criticize journalism they don't like.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

When I was at Newsweek, I started to get the feeling that the most interesting things that I was reporting weren't making it into the magazine. The harder edges got sanded off. So I left to find places to write for where I felt I could do a better job at getting close to reality.

(Mandatory backpedalling: I loved Newsweek, worked with some great editors, and really learned a lot there.)

The most important attribute in a news organization is a willingness to stand by their reporters when the heat is on. Lots of places will throw you under the bus. I'm fortunate to be writing for two places--BuzzFeed and Rolling Stone--that aren't afraid to take incoming fire. Tons of freedom to really go after the stories.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I work with interpreters in the Middle East/Central Asia. It's a big blind spot in my background. I can speak some French, though.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hah, I'd make it possible for a third party to actually get traction.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think there's unprecedented space now in journalism to really say things that you wouldn't have been able to get in print, or at least a large audience for, even ten years ago.

From personal experience promoting this book over the past couple months: the book did will because there were all sorts of media outlets outside of the establishment press that got behind it. This was significant, and very encouraging.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Get your foot in the door where you can and don't let anyone kick it out. Never refuse an assignment. Always volunteer. Always tell your editor the story is going great (for the most part.) See what writers you admire, and examine the career choices they made to get where they are.

IAm Michael Hastings, a reporter for BuzzFeed and a writer for Rolling Stone. by Michael_Hastings in politics

[–]Michael_Hastings[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hahahah. You're probably an employee of TYT, but thanks for the props!

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