This is the letter I just wrote to the editors of the NY Times, along those lines:
Dear Editors,
On August 7, 2005 Damien Cave wrote an article titled "Missing In Action: The War Heroes", asking why no heroes have emerged from the Iraq war.
May I suggest that the reason we don't read about those heroes is because reporters are not reporting about them. I know many journalists may object to that but it is very obvious to those of us who read and watch the news. Journalists are so afraid of seeming to be "in the pocket" of the administration or the military that they are not willing to embed themselves with the military anymore, which is the only way they will be able to get out into the country and see what's really happening. The result is that reporters are locked up in the Green Zone, relying on secondhand information from dubious sources.
Mosul has been relatively quiet lately, compared to the situation of a few months ago. Does anyone from the New York Times have any idea why? Michael Yon does, because he's there every day.
There's much derision among the media of so-called "pajama bloggers" but who's a pajama blogger? The mainstream media journalist sitting (in his pajamas?) in a Green Zone hotel tapping out articles on his laptop; articles compiled mainly from press releases, telephone interviews, TV soundbites and on-site "reports" from Iraqi stringers whose credentials, interview techniques and motives are largely unknown? Or the blogger, like Michael Yon, who is out in the field getting the kinds of compelling first-hand reports journalists in previous wars used to get. The traditions of legendary war reporters like Ernie Pyle live on in people like Michael Yon, not in the Green Zone "reporters".
Yon's reports from Mosul exhibit the kind of reporting and writing that used to win Pulitzers. But Yon will not win a Pulitzer because he is "just a blogger". However, readers of Michael Yon's dispatches understand more about the situation in Mosul and about the challenges our military faces than could be gathered by reading a hundred articles in the New York Times. What a shame that readers of the New York Times and other "mainstream" media have no idea who LTC Erik Kurilla is and have no understanding of his courage, compassion and intelligence and of the respect he commands from subordinates, superiors and Iraq counterparts. LTC Kurilla will probably be a 4 star General someday. Blog readers will recognize his name when that happens. Readers of the New York Times won't.
That, sir, is an excellent letter.
May I presume you got no response?
LTC Kurilla = American Hero. (mainstream media coverage = 0)
Capt. Dave Rozelle = American Hero. (mainstream media coverage = minimal)
Lindy England = American Hosebag. (mainstream media coverage = neverending)
Outstanding letter. Don't stop with the NY Times, there's "Times" in every city across this country that need a wake up that letter offers! You know how it goes, they'll all try to ignore it unless it looks like one of the other lazy bastards are gonna run with it, then the race is on!