Media Focus?

The death of British scientist David Kelly is going to have far-reaching repercussions. By throwing a spotlight on the very public "BBC versus Blair administration" debate, it goes to the heart of the broader "media versus government" debate that is at the centre of the Iraq war.

The BBC has of late shown admirable moral clarity in a world where Truth is just one more expendable commodity. If the media's job is to report the truth, the BBC has been one of the few major outlets that has not wavered in the face of increased commercial and political pressure. This is largely a result of the protection afforded by it's public charter.

But if the media's job is to tell the Truth, is it necessarily a politician's duty to lie? If so, what does that say about the society in which we live?

On a similar line of thought, US soldiers in Iraq have been increasingly vocal in their criticism of the Bush administration. A few soldiers - who had been involved in some of the most dangerous and key missions in the invasion - have gone on record with public criticism of Rumsfield, Bush and others. In response, their already twice-extended tours of duty have been extended even further. Soldiers are suddenly extremely reluctant to go "on the record" with the media.