An Immemorial Day for the progressive media

Four among the most prestigious US progressive media outlets (CommonDreams, CounterPunch, TruthOut and ZNet) published on Memorial Day (26-5-’08) an article titled “War Immemorial Day – No Peace for Militarized U.S.” penned by Bill Quigley.

One paragraph in particular got my attention:

2003 to present Iraq. Operation Iraqi Freedom. 4082 U.S. military killed. British medical journal Lancet estimates over 90,000 civilian deaths. Iraq Body Count estimates over 84,000 civilians killed.

On May 27, I spent much time writing emails to the article’s author and to the editors of CommonDreams, CounterPunch, TruthOut and ZNet as well as to other writers, intellectuals and activists.

You may read the full correspondence on my blog, Giant mistakes on CounterPunch AND CommonDreams AND TruthOut AND ZNet RE: Iraq war death toll, Lancet and IBC

Following are the changes those progressive media made (or didn’t make) to the original paragraph.

ORIGINAL PARAGRAPH: "2003 to present Iraq. Operation Iraqi Freedom. 4082 U.S. military killed. British medical journal Lancet estimates over 90,000 civilian deaths. Iraq Body Count estimates over 84,000 civilians killed."

CommonDreams' correction: “2003 to present Iraq. Operation Iraqi Freedom. 4082 U.S. military killed. British medical journal Lancet estimates over 655,000 civilian deaths. Iraq Body Count estimates over 84,000 civilians killed.”

CounterPunch's correction: “2003 to present Iraq. Operation Iraqi Freedom. 4082 U.S. military killed. Civilian deaths? Researchers from Johns Hopkins, using the most orthodox and conservative sampling methodology, reported in the Lancet, after extensive peer review, their estimate of a post-invasion civilian death toll of about 655,000 by the end of 2006.”

TruthOut didn’t issue any correction but deleted the paragraph in question; no explanation was given to the readers.

ZNet didn’t issue any correction (as yet?) and ZNet’s readers can still read: “2003 to present Iraq. Operation Iraqi Freedom. 4082 U.S. military killed. British medical journal Lancet estimates over 90,000 civilian deaths. Iraq Body Count estimates over 84,000 civilians killed.” (see update)

Waiting for ZNet to develop a resistance strategy (hopefully ZNet’s Michael Albert won’t tell anyone to call me “contemptable” again – as he did a few months ago in a similar situation) it’s important to consider the following:

1) The article in question, in its original edition, has been posted, sent and forwarded from those four outlets all through the internet to several websites, mailing lists, forums and so on. The correction issued by CounterPunch and CommonDreams and the unusual deletion made by TruthOut won’t touch those who already had read the article on these three outlets, even less those who are still reading it around the internet.

2) ZNet distinguished itself - once again! - for its peculiar fashion to edit a publication; its readers are - once again! - deceived by an article ZNet published but ZNet’s editors don’t think to issue a simple correction: probably too bourgeois for the Z world? (see update)

3) Bill Quigley’s article appeared simultaneously in some among the most prestigious US left progressive media. One wonders why this article could reach such a vast readership. One wonders why the author mentioned, next to Iraq Body Count, the Lancet study published in 2004 instead of the one published in 2006. One wonders why all those left progressive media could miss altogether such giant mistakes. One wonders why ZNet decided to not issue any correction (See update). One wonders…

UPDATE: Today, at 9:40 pm London Time - ZNet published the following correction:

2003 to present Iraq. Operation Iraqi Freedom. 4082 U.S. military killed. Civilian deaths? Researchers from Johns Hopkins, using the most orthodox and conservative sampling methodology, reported in the Lancet, after extensive peer review, their estimate of a post-invasion civilian death toll of about 655,000 by the end of 2006.

Let’s welcome the correction, of course. Better late than never!