I enjoyed Uzunov's article. The whole media tough guy/gal shtick performed by SBS TV's Dateline reporters such as Mark Davis with the camera on his face as he dodges bullets or young Sophie McNeill as the "wiz kid" is wearing thin... It's just so 1980s much like the host George "Balmain Cowboy" Negus...

It is indicative of the slide in SBS's quality as it has become populist. It's best war reporter John Martinkus is no longer on Dateline. Why?

We need serious reportage and commentary and the complete picture... not Hollywood war reporters celebrities..who only feign moral outrage on the big screen but won't give us the full picture.

I suspect reporters at Fairfax, SBS and the ABC see Uzunov as a serious threat.

The reason for Hyland's poor attempt at a takedown of Uzunov on the front page of the Age in August 2008 confirms this. When you interupt coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games and the Russian invasion of Georgia to fire a broadside at Uzunov, it obviously means something.

It would be great to see Hyland, the other media tough guy Paul McGeough and Uzunov on television arguing it out... But I think Hyland and McGeough would find it easier dodging Taliban bullets and bombs than being open to scrutiny.

Keep up the good work.

I agree with Truther.

We need discussion on defence issues. We have to fear reporters more than politicians and bureaucrats over the flow of information, simply because it might jeopardise some journos ability to make money from books, tv appearances and the whole popstar lifestyle thing.

We the taxpayers foot the bill for defence, therefore we have a right to scrutinise all parties involved politicians, experts, the military and the media.

Post Script to my story:

www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2853029.htm
22 March 2010
In Search of Zahir Khan.

Media Watch take down on SBS TV's Dateline story about the Afghan scandal as reported by Sophie McNeill. Absolutely hilarious stuff up.

cheers
Sasha Uzunov

Well put Sasha,

As an ex Sapper and officer, I have for years bemoaned the fact that "once upon a time" we had a media professional in each of the networks whom was experienced if not qualified in the military arts/profession of arms. The BBC still employ such a specialist. However, in Oz, it would appear that any lightweight graduate of (insert any odd Australian university) is competent to enter the debate and wax loquacious about that that they nothing about! This is not only in the area of manpower management and tactics, but also materiel.

For instance, where are the MedEvac Helicopters for our troops? How is it that our only rotary wing assets (Chinook) are deployed where they do not support our Diggers?

How is it that the Royal Engineers now have Trojan (http://www.army.mod.uk/news/19299.aspx) in country, and Royal Australian Engineers are not equipped with any similar anti IED/Mine vehicle (only $9 million each). Are our tactics in the same country that different? Indeed the Pommie Sappers are soon to get a new Combat Engineering Vehicle, Terrier; http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Terriers-for-the-Royal-Engineers-05359/ and our Sappers have feet!

What of our "standard" issue rifle, that Austrian thing? I know that Colonel "Nails" Collins when her took the Royal Irish into Iraq, carried an AK47 because he reckons that small calibre weapons are a joke in a high particulate environment? Is this a hidden question of huge dimension, re-equipping our army back to 7.62mm? Maybe its just the SA80 and not the F88? There's at least a good article here?

There are real stories out there, but it needs an informed and competent journalist to analyse and examine them. Like some of our absent specialist equipment, we don't have some of these ...