[lit-ideas] All you can be
- From: eternitytime1@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 10:50:31 -0400
Hi,
Speaking of Al-Jazeera, here is something that may be of interest to one of our
new members...
Best,
Marlena
Be All that You Can Be, at Al-Jazeera
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Josh Rushing, former Marine captain and an
accidental star of the movie Control Room made
news of his own last week when he signed on to
become the American face of the controversial Arab
news network Al Jazeera-International. Top U.S.
officials, including Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld, have repeatedly complained that Al
Jazeera's coverage is unfair or untrue. Monday,
Rushing sat down with TIME for his first interview
on why he took the job and what the new network
will cover.
One reason he wanted to leave the Marine Corps,
says Rushing, is that his superior officers had
forbidden him to speak to the press. He was torn
between his loyalty to the Corps and his duty as a
citizen. "I felt like I had a platform and
something to say. I thought it would be a missed
opportunity to say, take a public relations job in
Houston, which I was about to do." The
journalists at Al Jazeera- International, says
Rushing, are a mix of nationalities and most in
the Washington Bureau come from established
outlets like CNN, BBC, Britain's ITN and even Fox
News. Rushing thinks that diversity will be part
of Al Jazeera-International's appeal. "I'm an
American and proud of it. If that affects my
objectivity, then so be it," said Rushing.
Rushing thinks part of his mission is to educate
the American public on the reality of war. "War
in America has its own branding-it's the American
flag, it's that Lee Greenwood song, it's a sailor
kissing a woman in Times Square. But Americans
need to be aware of the consequences." Like it or
not, "Al Jazeera is the most influential Arab
voice outside of mosques. It is the largest
shaper of ideology," says Rushing. And if
American voices are not heard in that venue, then
they have no chance of having virtually any
influence. "I've dedicated my adult life to the
health and security of the United States and to
representing the best of American ideas. I will
maintain my credibility by continuing to do that."
Rushing may discover that being a Marine might
have been the easy part. (Sally B. Donnelly
<http://www.time.com> 9/27/05)
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