Milbloggers Strike Back

[Annie]

Matt is leading the charge! Links at site:

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2006/06/usa_baghdad_coo.html

USAToday Baghdad Coorespondent Bites Dog
Posted By Blackfive

Received some blogger coorespondence via Bill Roggio and Glenn Reynolds:

From Howard Kurtz Media Notes Extra. Emphasis is mine.

An unfair comparison, says USA Today's Baghdad correspondent , Cesar Soriano, in a letter to Romenesko:

"Comparing USA Today's Page 1 coverage of Iraq with 'traditional' newspapers is like comparing apples and oranges. The very nature of USA Today's design and layout limits us to running about three front page articles per day, versus about six 1A stories in other newspapers. Those other papers also have larger staff in Iraq. To somehow suggest that USA Today or other media care less about Iraq coverage based on a byline count is wrong and an insult to the brave U.S. and Iraqi journalists and staff who risk their lives everyday to bring the news to our readers.

"For the record, USA Today has maintained a Baghdad bureau since beginning of the war, currently headed by Rick Jervis. A quick search of our archives reveals USA Today has published a total of 433 articles in 2006 that mention Iraq in the headline or lede."

And this parting shot: "To all the Chairborne Rangers advancing the vast 'negative media' conspiracy from the safety and comfort of their parents' basements: If you think you can do better, I've got a spare bed in the Baghdad bureau."
​

To which Bill Roggio responds:

Hello Cesar,

I'd take you up on the offer of "the spare bed in the Baghdad bureau" but this Chairborne Ranger is currently embedded in Kandahar, Afghanistan. I'll head back to Iraq for the second time this year after I make my next stop in the Horn of Africa. No doubt Michael Totten and Michael Yon, two other notable Chairborne Rangers, have similar plans.

You should also ask another group of Chairborne Rangers, such as Smash, Greyhawk, OpFor, and the other military bloggers who did their blogging from the combat zones to see if they need a rack. Oh, and I'll be bypassing Baghdad to go outside the comfort of the hotel, so you can keep the spare bed.

Best wishes, be safe and enjoy the pool!

Bill Roggio
Co-Editor, The Counterterrorism Blog
http://counterterrorismblog.org
Co-Chairman, The Counterterrorism Foundation
http://counterterrorismblog.org/foundation.php​

Hey Cesar! Here's the list that I used to maintain...from 2005...in the Extended Section. It's outdated but should give you an idea of military bloggers, or "Chariborne Rangers":

2005 Army In Iraq
SFC Kevin Kelly's Dixie Sappers (closing down)
Thunder Six's 365 and a wakeup
Red 2 Alpha's This Is Your War
Major K's Strength and Honor
Lt Currie's Sic Vis Pace, Para Bellum
Who's Your Baghdaddy
My Vacation in Iraq
A Day In Iraq
Specialist Jason Pierce
Ma Deuce Gunner (Scouts OUT!)
Hello from Hell
Opinion Inc.
DadManly
Sergeant Steven Kiel
Sapper Sergeant
Dog Hostage
Reverse Retina
Lance In Iraq
Middle of Nowhere and Two Feet from Hell
SoldierGrrrl
Phil and Becky
Jon Jivian
Ryan and Christie's Place
Intel Dump (Phil Carter - 101st ABN)
Armor Geddon (OIF Vet TWICE)
Jay's News From Baghdad (OIF Vet)
American Soldier (Iraq)
Grey Eagle's A Female Soldier's Story (Iraq)
Watch Your Six (Iraq)
Sgt Missick (OIF Vet)
The Questing Cat (OIF Vet - closing down)
Risawn (in Kosovo)
Jason Van Steenwyk's Counter Column (OIF Vet)
Chief Wiggles (OIF Vet)
Alexander the Average (OIF & OEF Vet)
Bobby's World (OEF Vet in Korea)
In Iraq for 365 (OIF Vet)
Dogtulosba, ink. (Army Airborne Combat Engineer)
Darth VOB (Deploying soon)
Blog Machine City (OIF Vet)
Assumption of Command (OIF Vet)
Boots on the Ground (OIF Vet)
Sergeant Lizzie (OIF Vet)
Chuck at TC Override (OIF Vet)

2005 Army in Afghanistan
Firepower Forward
Argghhh! (has a contributor in the 'stan)
Going Down Range
Xavier's Life In X Minor
Sonny Louie
The Hooker and His Girl

Jean-Paul Borda (OEF Vet)

2005 Marines In Iraq
Joshua Seevers
Warrior's Voice (OIF Vet)
Southern Appeal's Joel Leggett (OIF Vet)
Howdy (OIF Vet Marine Cobra pilot)
Hurl (the other Marine Cobra Pilot...)
LtCol Dave Bellon's Green Side
Hello Iraq
Team Med-fah
Warrior's Voice

Navy
Joe Kane's AbleKane Blog (OIF Vet)
Sean Dustman's Doc in the Box (OIF Vet and in Iraq, again, 2006)
Smash (the Indepundit and OIF Vet)

Air Force
Greyhawk's Mudville Gazette (OIF Vet)

Special Operations Bloggers
SF Alpha Geek (SF - OEF Vet)
JB's Sanctuary (SF)
Michael Yon (SF Vet - now an embedded blogger in Iraq)

Canadian MilBloggers
Martin in Afghanistan (just returned home)

Bloggers KIA
Stephen Vincent
Bob Zangas
Francisco Martinez

Please place blogs that I am missing in the Comments. Use the whole URL (including the http://) to make links active/live.

Update: Cesar was a soldier in Bosnia for a short tour (less than a year). That's admirable. Plus, I've received a few emails from people who know him. He had a website diary (BLOG) in 1996 and may have been one of the - if not THE - first milbloggers. However, that doesn't excuse how he labels bloggers, of which he was probably the only member ten years ago, as Chairborne Rangers. I haven't read any of his articles, many of which cover gossip and hollywood.