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GQ Editor Mocks TV Journalists Covering Middle East Turmoil. GQ?

by Frances Martel | 2:57 pm, March 26th, 2011

» 28 comments

For most Americans up-to-date on current events, the recent wave of Middle East reports has been both jarring and commendable, with journalists routinely putting their lives on the line to bring home the most compelling reports. But not all in the media managed to avoid falling victim to their own cynicism from their nice comfy offices, in particular GQ editor Jim Nelson. In this month’s issue, Nelson chose to mock “important-looking Caucasians” and that “handsome young black reporter” on cable news for daring to care about foreign developments.

In his monthly address to readers, Nelson acknowledges the brutal awakening he received with news in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, et al from his self-described “naivete”– a naivete his ascribes to most Americans, and certainly to all of news media. “One day,” he quips, “it was a normal media universe: newsreaders tossing harmless inanities at each other, cooing over video of some overgroomed terrier at the Westminster Dog Show… And the next thing you knew, our TVs went totally Al Jazeera.” To Nelson, it was a shock to the system that journalists were covering the Middle East with interest, a new development only if one discounts the ongoing coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the coverage of the polemical Iranian election in 2009, the perennial reports of violence in Gaza, etc. “I love watching journalists when they start acting hugely interested in stuff they never cared about… such as Arabs,” he sneers.

Certainly not all journalists covering the turmoil in the Middle East deserve Pulitzers, and much of what we see on cable news in particular can be superficial and downright disingenuous. Taking reports with a hint of salt is wise, and Nelson does no wrong in keeping an eye open, but to mock news reports and their reporters crosses a line from healthily detached to insulting and dismissive. Where most Americans saw journalists putting their lives on the line to expose countless abuses in dictatorships notorious for their zero-tolerance policies about freedom of information, Nelson saw “important-looking Caucasians telling us how significant-feeling everything was.” Caucasians, one imagines, like Anderson Cooper, who suffered two attacks in Egypt before calling it a day, or the New York Times reporters who were detained in Libya, or, at the unthinkable extreme of suffering on the front lines, Lara Logan. Real journalists have suffered serious consequences trying to bring back the most accurate updates from the region, and to dismiss them all for treating the collapse of sovereignty in an entire region of the world as “significant-feeling” for the sake of sounding trendily aloof does a disservice to our reporters on the front lines, and is beneath a publication like GQ.

But white people weren’t the only ones vulnerable to Nelson’s ridicule. Particularly grating to Nelson appeared CNN’s “handsome young black anchorman who looks like he would never get his hands dirty with newsprint” (Don Lemon?). Was he just a second or two short of calling him “clean and articulate,” or “with no Negro dialect,” or something else? This anchor, Nelson narrates, “acted completely starstruck when talking to a real-life foreign correspondent” (lest you think Nelson would leave us hanging on the correspondent’s nationality, he makes sure to let us know he is Australian, “as [foreign correspondents] often are”). Nelson concludes accusing the correspondent, again, of naivete, and then brings the editorial full circle with an Anderson Cooper dig. “I wish I could get out of this anchor seat, travel the world, and get my head punched like Anderson Cooper,” the anchor thinks to himself in Nelson’s version of the tale.

Ultimately, while Nelson appears to revel in playing armchair pundit, he leaves open-ended what he would prefer to see from the media while the people of the Middle East continue to revolt and change the landscape of that region forever. Would he like that “handsome young black reporter” to sully his hands with newsprint (perhaps a copy of GQ)? Should they ignore the Middle East entirely and instead focus on the latest fashion trends? Or perhaps the solution would be for journalists to act with total apathy towards their life’s work. Passion for one’s profession is so last season.

anderson cooper, CNN, Don Lemon, Egypt, GQ, Jim Nelson, Lara Logan, Libya, middle east, New York Times

skyfet

I mocked it when if first came out, why didn’t you cover me?

lol
Harry Flashman

That sort of work is obviously beneath him. He’s the editor of GQ for pete’s sake. He can’t do that. He might get dirty.

Or break a nail.
Barack Must Go

The ” FOX NEWS ” model is WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. They report the news story as it happens, only when it happens.

The left wing zealots Cooper from CNN and Engel at MSNBC falsely inject themselves, even my rat terrier Buddy can tell they embellish the true nature of the story and photo shop the _____ out of personal appearances, where none belonged.

A textbook example was documented right here the other day, whereby Dick E. lied his little sissy ass of about taking heavy artilley incoming ( three to be exact ), where he supposedly inches from being blown to kingdom come. Remember, it occurred while he was fondling some guys toy gun.

The problem with the braver than those Fox guys, Engel’s story is it was totally fabricated bull____ .

There was no enemy fire, as he himself had just reported the closest Gadaffi forces were five miles to their West. Instead it was simply some of the rebel knuckleheads shooting off ( under the guise of target practing ) their anti aircraft weapons across the street, not enemy incoming, while the brave NBC guy risked his life.

That’s the true nature of the liberal bomb throwers in this country. Everything they do or say is a blatent, made for TV propaganda piece.

Unfortunately, when it come to the left wing, Obama sycophants in this country today, these lying, cowardly,malcontents can fool every last one of them, all of the time.
CAINtheBULL

Sorry but if you’re in your comfortable home, watching your shows off your dvr while drinking coffee… you can’t make fun of the reporter getting shot at in some war zone. It’s just makes you come off like a douche.
TeaPartyPatriot

Is GQ doing a fashion report on the latest garb of the Al qaeda, radical Islamic muslims, America-hating libyans and mercenaries working for ahmadinejad who are the “rebels” trying to replace gadhafi?
Garth

Barack Must Go said:
The ” FOX NEWS ” model is WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. They report the news story as it happens, only when it happens.

The left wing zealots Cooper from CNN and Engel at MSNBC falsely inject themselves, even my rat terrier Buddy can tell they embellish the true nature of the story and photo shop the _____ out of personal appearances, where none belonged.

A textbook example was documented right here the other day, whereby Dick E. lied his little sissy ass of about taking heavy artilley incoming ( three to be exact ), where he supposedly inches from being blown to kingdom come. Remember, it occurred while he was fondling some guys toy gun.

The problem with the braver than those Fox guys, Engel’s story is it was totally fabricated bull____ .

There was no enemy fire, as he himself had just reported the closest Gadaffi forces were five miles to their West. Instead it was simply some of the rebel knuckleheads shooting off ( under the guise of target practing ) their anti aircraft weapons across the street, not enemy incoming, while the brave NBC guy risked his life.

That’s the true nature of the liberal bomb throwers in this country. Everything they do or say is a blatent, made for TV propaganda piece.

Unfortunately, when it come to the left wing, Obama sycophants in this country today, these lying, cowardly,malcontents can fool every last one of them, all of the time.

Sounds like you and your rat terrier have a relationship that should probably kept between you two. Free Buddy!!
Barack Must Go

Garth said:
Sounds like you and your rat terrier have a relationship that should probably kept between you two. Free Buddy!!

Typical liberal deny and deflect from the truth and issue at hand, instead say something personal or about George Bush, Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin.

How about it, you wanna take another honest stab at my contentions as they pertain to the sleezy MSM?

I’m going to guess not a chance, but I just had to ask anyway.
scalleywag

Big deal. Fox News does this type of sh*t every day.
Garth

Barack Must Go said:
Typical liberal deny and deflect from the truth and issue at hand, instead say something personal or about George Bush, Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin.

How about it, you wanna take another honest stab at my contentions as they pertain to the sleezy MSM?

I’m going to guess not a chance, but I just had to ask anyway.

Your moronic posts about Engel etc, had no basis in fact. Just some incoherent rant. Prove that they “falsely inject themselves…” whatever the hell that means. If you can’t do that then set Buddy free and shut the pie hole moron.
Dem4Ever

Hey Francis…when GQ mocks republicans you praise them for their journalistic prowess. You can’t have it both ways, sweety.
Barack Must Go

Garth said:
Your moronic posts about Engel etc, had no basis in fact. Just some incoherent rant. Prove that they “falsely inject themselves…” whatever the hell that means. If you can’t do that then set Buddy free and shut the pie hole moron.

Do your homework ( due diligence ) before you invest your time and breath bashing me or ” FOX NEWS “.

Go look for the thread, Right here at Mediaite, where Engel fake falls to the ground and rolls around supposedly because the Gadaffi forces he just reported were at least five miles away just dropped three bombs only 50 feet from him.

Clearly they are not under enemy fire, just some rebel imbecile firing off a few practice rounds with an anti aircraft weapon. MSNBC kept the lie ( started out a simple misunderstanding ) intact, which is typical liberal propaganda B/S at it’s worst.

Your source for this correction is Barack_Must_Go, as I just told you the truth will never come from the left wing liberal bomb throwing press….not in a million years.
Garth

Barack Must Go said:
Do your homework ( due diligence ) before you invest your time and breath bashing me or ” FOX NEWS “.

Go look for the thread, Right here at Mediaite, where Engel fake falls to the ground and rolls around supposedly because the Gadaffi forces he just reported were at least five miles away just dropped three bombs only 50 feet from him.

Clearly they are not under enemy fire, just some rebel imbecile firing off a few practice rounds with an anti aircraft weapon. MSNBC kept the lie ( started out a simple misunderstanding ) intact, which is typical liberal propaganda B/S at it’s worst.

Your source for this correction is Barack_Must_Go, as I just told you the truth will never come from the left wing liberal bomb throwing press….not in a million years.

You’re the nut that believes 9/11 was an inside job. Free Buddy!!!
Frances Martel

Dem4Ever said:
Hey Francis…when GQ mocks republicans you praise them for their journalistic prowess. You can’t have it both ways, sweety.

When did I ever praise GQ for “mocking Republicans”? The only times I’ve even written about GQ were to comment on the Megyn Kelly photos and their Lou Dobbs profile, neither of which were particularly partisan.
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

There was a bit of funny at the beginning of last Monday’s “Daily Show”, when Jon made reference to all the stuff that happened while he was off for the week, but the GQ fellow seems to have taken it much too far because not only does he appear to be bragging about being self-involved and woefully uninformed, but he apparently lumps everybody into nationalities, generalities, ethnicities, races and demographic groups.

It should be a hit with the average GQ reader because you know, they’re all the same.
(see what I did there?)
Barack Must Go

Garth said:
You’re the nut that believes 9/11 was an inside job. Free Buddy!!!

You’re a regular Columbo G, seriously.
Dem4Ever

Frances Martel said:
…Megan Kelly photos and their Lou Dobbs profile, neither of which were particularly partisan.

Don’t you mean, BOTH WERE particularly partisan?
http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Mangan/100000213524770 David Mangan

Of course, Frances neglects to mention the much more severe beating suffered by a Fox reporter and his cameraman in Tahrir Square. Anderson Cooper and Engel seem to merit more attention for their, er, comeliness.

I always read GQ for its incisive commentary on foreign policy and Nelson didn’t disappoint me. [/sarc]
Sidhekitten

Hey here is a fun idea, why don’t we roll an Artillery Simulator into Jim Nelson’s office and give him a close up experience. The only thing that will take some real damage is his suit. Ok, it might set the carpet on fire if he is using shag, sigh.

While I am sure that some war correspondents have staged events, these men and women put themselves in the thick of it usually only with cameras. So for this, is coward to strong of a word, to pull a rant like this should earn him a trip to the nearest front line event. Let’s talk with him after a bullet has gone by his head or he just got up close and personal with a concussion wave. Remember Jim, keep the mouth open so you don’t pop an eardrum.
Judge Mental

Hey, I’ve got an idea for all the “journalists” covering the Middle East turmoil. Why don’t they investigate and report on the identity of the “rebels” who we’re supporting?
llog1637

dhfbfjfj cgh g4jh hjk hjhil kkl.;
Sidhekitten

Judge Mental said:
Hey, I’ve got an idea for all the “journalists” covering the Middle East turmoil. Why don’t they investigate and report on the identity of the “rebels” who we’re supporting?

Can’t fault you for that question, but I do think we already know the answer….
Judge Mental

Sidhekitten said:
Can’t fault you for that question, but I do think we already know the answer….

Yes, but do the vast majority of Americans, who get their news from the alphabet networks? I doubt it.
Sidhekitten

Judge Mental said:
Yes, but do the vast majority of Americans, who get their news from the alphabet networks? I doubt it.

That would be a big “No”, hey whats on Idol or who is on Dancing with the Stars….
Sidhekitten

Oh hey, looks like that whole “we will be in and out in a couple of days” with our Kinetic Military Action in Libya just went down toilet. Like anyone who pays attention say how much of a lie that was.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20110327/D9M7JGB00.html

Remember lefties, oh wait you would not know this, the best laid plans never survive contact with the enemy. And a a nice bloody note, it looks like we will be warming up the AC-130 Specter Gunships. Now that’s how you kill ground forces, a bullet in every square inch of a football field, it will make your day. That puppy even carries an artillery piece, just for good measure. Wait, wait, wait, I thought this was a No FLY Zone, silly me, believing what El Presidente ever says….

Come on lefties, it’s time to do as Joe Bidden demanded, it’s time to impeach your guy for not consulting with Congress and not being honest with the American people. Oh, pardon me again, it’s your guy now, so everything is Righteous.
libra blue

““I love watching journalists when they start acting hugely interested in stuff they never cared about… such as Arabs,” he sneers.”

Why are you showing a photo of Richard Engel? He built his career on covering the Middle East. Besides speaking Arabic, he happens to be an expert on Arabic countries. I don’t think his name was even mentioned in the article.

I would have to agree that most of the others don’t have a working knowledge of the Middle East and are learning as they go along.
libra blue

One more thing. Get rid of that Showtime ad, it is totally annoying!
Marty73

Compared to all the fine journalists Jim Nelson smugly mocks in his ridiculous article, HE is rather useless isn’t he?
hanyue321

Excellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he actually bought me lunch because I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!