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Filmmaker, former Marine and past and upcoming embed JD Johannes is interviewed by Hot Air.

His comments about how long it really takes to get a feel for an area of Iraq are spot-on. As I mentioned when deciding to stay in Fallujah instead of moving on to Ramadi:

I've come to the conclusion that to have an idea of what's going on in either city, you need to spend at least two to three solid weeks, ideally four, in each. Compounding the complexity is that the two cities and regions surrounding them are vastly different. All this makes the concept of authoritatively writing about either from Baghdad or DC, as some are inclined to do, all the more unrealistic. It's perhaps possible with a wealth of contacts, but access to first-hand local perspectives is pretty helpful.

As Johannes mentions, 48-hour reporting drive-bys aren't quite useless, but they don't grant much time to get acquainted with an area, especially if the story stems from a "predetermined" narrative.

His web site featuring footage from his documentary is here.

Posted by Bill at March 16, 2007 10:33 AM | TrackBack (7)

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