Pakistan Top Stories - Week 1

This week, NewsTrust joined forces with the Huffington Post and its Eyes & Ears team to find quality news and opinion on Pakistan.

Throughout the week, we reviewed journalism on themes that included: Swat Valley, US - Pakistani relations, refugee crisis, and relations with India and Afghanistan (See the first results previously posted on this blog).

Here's a listing of the best stories on Pakistan NewsTrust members have rated so far:



Next week, we will compare how local and global media are covering the crisis in this region.  Our Pakistan News Hunt will end on Sunday, August 9th - and we will announce the final results on this blog on Wednesday, August 12th.

Join our Pakistan News Hunt, and review some of the stories on our Pakistan topic page.

Pakistan News Hunt - First Results

On Monday we kicked off our two-week Pakistan News Hunt, in partnership with the Huffington Post and its Eyes & Ears team of citizen journalists. In just a few days, we've already found some great journalism on this topic, thanks to over a hundred new HuffPost members who signed up for this investigation. Here are some of our top stories so far.

Conflict in Swat Valley
We started by comparing stories on the conflict in Swat Valley, where displaced residents have recently begun to return after months of fighting between military and Taliban forces. Although many militants have been killed or driven from the region, many returning refugees fear for their safety -- and Pakistani, U.S. and international news media offered contradictory reports on security in Swat.

The Wall Street Journal reported (NT reviews) that the Taliban has regrouped and resumed attacks on towns and villages in the past week after being scattered by the Pakistani army. Whether a last hurrah or the sign of  a new campaign, "the renewed violence is a sharp reminder that the offensive for the strategic valley, which won effusive praise from the U.S. and European nations, remains far from complete."

The Guardian and CNN painted more optimistic pictures. "Normal life was slowly percolating" in the Swat city of Mingora, The Guardian reported in a profile (NT reviews) of Pakistanis returning home from refugee camps. CNN detailed the devastation in the region, but suggested (NT reviews) that life in Swat may slowly return with the Taliban defeated.

Dawn, a mainstream English-language daily in Pakistan, also reported (NT reviews) relative calm in Mingora, "but it is too early to declare a victory. Army officials concede that the insurgents have not been completely rooted out and there are still some strong pockets of resistance ... Army claims to have eliminated second and third tiers of Taliban commanders, but the top leadership has so far survived, raising fears of insurgents regrouping once the operation is over."

Which is most credible? A blog post from CHUP -- Changing Up Pakistan analyzed recent coverage of Swat and offered (NT reviews) this conclusion:

"While there is not enough information to really separate fact from fiction, it is clear that we are far, far away from the zero-sum game of conventional warfare ... Therefore, it seems the major difference between this offensive and Pakistan’s past military operations is a deeper understanding of what constitutes a “success.” In counterinsurgency warfare, success is defined not by victories in the battle space, but the ability to maintain security in its aftermath."

U.S. Role in Pakistan
U.S. involvement in Pakistan was the focus of yesterday's news comparison. As the United States sends more troops to neighboring Afghanistan, how is the Obama Administration working to cooperate with the Pakistani government and influence its regional policy with neighbors like India?

The LA Times ran a story (NT reviews) quoting several U.S. and Pakistani military sources who said intelligence sharing and military cooperation have increased between the two countries. And the Washington Post reported on (NT reviews) attempts by Congress to pass legislation that would provide economic relief to Pakistani business -- legislation Pakistani businessmen have rejected as ineffective.

With regard to India, Frontline (India) wrote (NT reviews) the best approach for the United States is a subtle one:

"The idea of “quiet diplomacy” and “behind the scenes” action is very much the hallmark of the Obama approach ... most analysts recognise that the United States’ foreign policy has framed a considerable part of India-Pakistan relations, and given this, the gentle nudge from Washington plays an immense role both in Islamabad and in New Delhi."

Join the News Hunt
Can you help us find the best news and opinion on the critical situation in Pakistan? To join us, all you need to do is sign up (or log in), then review (or submit) a story on our Pakistan topic page.

Our Pakistan News Hunt with Huffington Post and Eyes & Ears will continue through the end of next week, Sunday August 9th. This week we will compare news and opinion on Pakistani refugees, Af-Pak relations, the Pakistani government and other related issues, as covered by global and local news media. 

Next week, we will compare independent and mainstream coverage of Pakistan, as well as reports from Pakistani publications vs. U.S. and international sources. With that in mind, we encourage you to review stories from local publications in Pakistan, including: Dawn, The News, The Nation, The Daily Times, The Frontier Post, Business Recorder, The Daily Mail, Pakistani Times, The Friday Times, Pakistan News, Pak Observer - and blogs like All Things Pakistan, Chapati Mystery, Changing Up Pakistan (CHUP), Pakistan Policy and Five Rupees. 

Thanks to our Partners
We're very grateful to our partners at Huffington Post: Matt Palevsky (director of Eyes & Ears) and Hanna Ingber Win (editor of the HuffPost's World section) and their team of citizen journalists and researchers, for joining forces with us on this Pakistan News Hunt. It's a true pleasure to be working with such a dynamic group, and we're all learning a lot from each other. Our partnership is based on a shared commitment to a 'smart crowdsourcing' approach -- engaging professionals as well as amateurs in a focused collaboration that helps us all get informed as a community.

Top Stories on Innovation
Last week, as the country celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, we turned our attention to Innovation. We compared stories on the future of NASA, health care innovation, media innovation and more. Check out our full listing of last week's top stories on Innovation.

-- Derek Hawkins, with Fabrice Florin, Kaizar Campwala and Joey Baker

Think Like A Journalist

This week, we're pleased to announce our first news literacy guide:



Think Like A Journalist, by Michael Bugeja, gives news consumers a quick introduction to core principles of journalism, with helpful tips on how to review a story on NewsTrust. This short guide is aimed at people with a general interest in news, but who have limited time to learn about news literacy.

If you find this project interesting, we encourage you to spread the word in your community. You might encourage readers to first check the guide, then sign up and review stories on NewsTrust. This is a great way for members of the public to practice their news literacy skills -- and get more informed in the process.

This news literacy guide also include an extensive list of educational resources, for teachers or individuals interested in learning more. We welcome any recommendations for other worthy sites you think should be added to this list: http://media.newstrust.net/guides/educational-resources.html

We're very grateful to the many contributors who made this guide possible: author Michael Bugeja, editor Kristin Gorski, as well as advisors John McManus, Howard Rheingold and Frank Baker. They deserve special credit for generously volunteering their time to help educate the public about this important 21st century literacy.

We created NewsTrust.net to help people find and share good journalism online, so they could make more informed decisions as citizens. Since 2006, our social news site has provided them with an effective way to develop their news literacy skills -- by rating the news based on quality, not just popularity. Thanks to the generous support of the MacArthur Foundation, we helped over half-a-million people become more discriminating news consumers last year - and look forward to expanding our educational programs in coming years, through online guides like this one.

Stay tuned for more news literacy articles and teacher guides on NewsTrust in coming weeks.

Enjoy Think Like A Journalist!

Fabrice Florin
Executive Director, NewsTrust

Republican Party Results

Last week we asked what the near future might hold for the Republican Party, but found that news and opinion on the GOP has focused largely on the present. Facing a filibuster-proof Democratic majority in Congress, would the Republicans rather voice opposition than exercise power?

Confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor began last Monday, and many took the opportunity to analyze the criticisms Republican Senators in the Judiciary Committee brought against President Obama's U.S. Supreme Court nominee. The Boston Globe (NT reviews), Time (NT reviews) and Congressional Quarterly (NT reviews) each laid out similar predictions at the beginning of the week – with Sotomayor's confirmation all but certain, they said, Republicans would use the hearings to frame her views as out of the mainstream, particularly on issues of race. This strategy, said the Boston Globe, is "intended to send a message to President Obama in deciding future nominations: Think twice before picking a liberal."

The Washington Independent reported (NT reviews) that some Republicans believe they do, in fact, have a shot at blocking Sotomayor's confirmation, or at least tipping the vote. According to the Independent, conservative activists have tried to paint Sotomayor as a threat to gun rights in an effort to convince Congressional Democrats in conservative states like Montana and Arkansas not to vote for her.

Heavy-handed questioning of Sotomayor in committee brought many to her defense, including Slate's Dahlia Lithwick, who called the hearings "empty political theater" (NT reviews). In the rare moments when Republicans stop grilling Sotomayor about her remarks in speeches and turn to her judicial record, Lithwick said, "the focus isn't on her legal approach or process but on the outcomes ... Nobody wants to hear how she got to a result. They want to know why she didn't get to their result."

Juan Cole of Informed Comment called (NT reviews) some Senate Republicans hypocritical for harping on claims of Sotomayor's racism and bad temper, when they had exhibited such behavior in the past.

The unlikelihood that the GOP will prevent Sotomayor's confirmation is symptomatic of bigger, existential problems within the party, other stories suggested. Given the party's low approval ratings and Democratic control of Congress and the White House, prospects for a quick comeback are slim, said (NT reviews) Adam Nagourney in the New York Times. Lacking strong leadership and a guiding strategy, "Many in the party appear to be biding their time, waiting for Mr. Obama to stumble in one or another of his ambitious plans." Daniel Finkelstein made a similar assessment (NT reviews) in The Times (London). Citing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's early resignation, Finkelstein said:

"There is no more eloquent statement of modern Republicanism than resigning office with time still on the clock. Mrs. Palin has chosen to talk about power, rather than exercise it. She would rather write a book and give lectures about being a governor than actually be a governor. And her party has made the same choice."

Top rated stories on the Republican Party
Most recent stories on the Republican Party

Check our News Literacy Guide
Today, we're pleased to announce our first News Literacy Guide: Think Like A Journalist. This short guide gives a quick intro to core principles of journalism, with helpful tips on how to review a story on NewsTrust. Many thanks to these wonderful contributors, who made this guide possible: author Michael Bugeja, editor Kristin Gorski, as well as advisors John McManus, Howard Rheingold and Frank Baker. Stay tuned for more news literacy articles and teacher guides in coming weeks. Enjoy Think Like A Journalist!

This Week: Innovation
This week our featured topic is Innovation. The recession is forcing many organizations to find new ways to get their work done more cost-effectively. What are businesses and entrepreneurs doing to cope with the economic downturn? How are public agencies adapting? Who is leading the way? Join our News Hunt and help us find great journalism on Innovation in new media, technology, government, finance and more. Review a story on our special Innovation page.

– Derek Hawkins, with Fabrice Florin, Joey Baker and Kaizar Campwala

Top Stories on Health Care, Part 2

President Barack Obama's top legislative priority this summer may also be his most contentious. Health care reform, currently under intense debate in Congress, has drawn far-reaching media coverage and commentary in the past month, little of which suggests an easy or quick path forward for lawmakers or the president.

For two weeks, from June 29 through July 12, our community focused on how the news media covered the health care debate. We devoted our first week to finding the best coverage (read last week's post here) -- then we compared coverage from independent sources, blogs, as well as liberal and conservative pundits. Disagreement marked most of the stories we compared. Carrying a price tag as high as $1.2 trillion and involving issues of personal choice, business regulation and human rights, health care reform has quickly become a defining challenge for the Obama Administration.

As was the case in the first week of our News Hunt, most of our top stories featuring health care were opinions. We gave equal space to opinions from the right and left, and our community favored the liberal or progressive perspectives on health care to those taking a conservative or libertarian view. More noteworthy, however, were vastly different and often contradictory arguments in these pieces.

Writing in the American Thinker, Frank Rosenbloom, a physician, said health care reform in Massachusetts enacted in 2006 has "failed miserably" (NT reviews). "We will likely have to consider the morgue as an integral part of any government health care system in the future," Rosenbloom concluded. The New Republic's Jonathan Cohn, however, maintained (NT reviews) that criticisms of the state's reforms are premature at best. Cohn sought to debunk a video op-ed from the conservative publication National Review that blamed reforms for increasing waiting periods and insurance costs. In reality, he said, wait times and costs were high long before reforms took place.

A similar clash of perspectives cropped up between a Wall Street Journal editorial and a blog post from Obsidian Wings. The Journal claimed (NT reviews) that Obama's health care reform plan could result in a government "rationing" of services not unlike the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). "Mr. Obama and Democrats claim they can expand subsidies for tens of millions of Americans, while saving money and improving the quality of care," it read. "It can't possibly be done. The inevitable result of their plan will be some version of a NICE board that will tell millions of Americans that they are too young, or too old, or too sick to be worth paying to care for."

Hilary Bok (aka Hilzoy) argued (NT reviews) the opposite on Obsidian Wings:

"When some people talk about rationing, they mean something scarier: the idea that someone, possibly the government, allocates quantities of something, and forbids anyone to obtain more of it. Thus, if the government rations gasoline in wartime, you get your gas coupons, and you are not allowed to buy any more gasoline, period. (That's why black markets are illegal.)  Likewise, when reselling tickets is illegal, ticket vendors are, in this sense, rationing tickets.

"No one -- no one -- is proposing to ration health care in this way. Not Barack Obama, not Bernie Sanders, no one. Every serious proposal I'm aware of would allow people to purchase whatever health care they want, so long as a doctor is willing to prescribe it. And not only that, they can purchase supplemental insurance, like those add-on plans for Medicare."

The Weekly Standard's Gary Andres and the Washington Post's Ezra Klein both commented on public support for health care reform, but arrived at different conclusions in their stories. Andres, citing contradictory polls, said "fear and loathing" (NT reviews) explain most citizens' views of health care reform -- fear of changing their care and loathing toward the government that could do so. "People might see some gains in reforming the overall system, but fear of changing what they have counts more," Andres said. "And while open to promises of health reform, they're concerned the government might mess things up."

Klein, blogging for the Post, took a different view (NT reviews) -- polls suggest "ambivalence" among Americans toward Obama's health care bill, he said:

health-care reform isn't simply suffering because the public is overly opposed to some of its revenue raisers. It's suffering because the public is insufficiently supportive of its core ... This isn't terribly surprising: it's not obvious what health-care reform will do for the average American ... The hope was that Americans would be convinced that their health-care coverage wouldn't change for the worse. But that's also made it hard to explain why it will get better.

As Congress presses forward on health care reform, we'll continue to monitor news coverage of the debate on our Health Care topic page. Can Democrats in the House and Senate negotiate a bipartisan health care reform bill before the August recess? If not, how great of a setback will it be for the Obama Administration? Help us find quality news and opinion that address these questions and more -- and be sure to review or submit a health care story in coming days, so your vote can be counted.

Check out or full listings of stories from our two-week News Hunt on Health Care:

Health Care: top rated stories
Health Care: most recent stories

Thanks again to Kristin Gorski, who did a fantastic job hosting our Health Care News Hunt, while also working on NewsTrust's upcoming News Literacy Guide. We're grateful to have her as an active reviewer, host and now team member. We'd also like to acknowledge a few reviewers who offered their expertise and unique perspectives on our Health Care stories and more. Special thanks go to Patricia Blochowiak, who co-hosted this News Hunt, Sam W. Velsor IV, and Fred Gatlin, who helped surface and rate many great news and opinion pieces on the health care debate.

This Week: The Republican Party
This week our featured topic is the Republican Party. Facing low approval ratings, losses in the 2008 elections and controversy about its rising stars, the GOP is struggling to regain political power. What will it take for the Republicans to rebound? Can the party reinvent itself while continuing to challenge President Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress? We're looking for great news and opinion of all political stripes on the Republican Party. Join our news hunt -- and compare stories on our special Republican Party page.

-- Derek Hawkins, with Joey Baker, Fabrice Florin and Kaizar Campwala

Top Stories on Health Care

Last week we kicked off a two-week News Hunt on Health Care. With Congress in recess, many news organizations turned away from the debate on Capitol Hill and focused instead on the deeper arguments behind reforming the nation's health care system.

Most of last week's top rated stories on this topic were opinions, several of which attempted to distill the health care reform bill currently under negotiation in the Finance Committee. A joint column (NT reviews) between the New Republic's Jonathan Cohn and Kaisar Health News warned that a bill with too many compromises could appease Congress but ultimately fail the public. The warning was directed at President Obama, who has urged lawmakers to pass legislation by the fall:

"To get something through Congress, Obama probably needs some centrist support--or, at the very least, he needs to make a good show of courting it. But Obama must be wary of conceding too much. Even in strictly political terms, a good bill that passes with a narrow margin may preferable to a weak bill that carries huge majorities."

At the core of the debate over Obama's plan is the so-called "public option" -- a government health insurance program that anyone could opt into. Obama's Republican critics, and some Democrats, have worried that it would amount to a government takeover of private health insurance. Echoing TNR's caveat on compromises, Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, rejected these claims in a blog post (NT reviews) that was rated highly by our community:

"Mr. Obama says he wants a public plan. But the strength of the opposition to it, along with his own commitment to making the emerging bill "bipartisan," is leading toward some oddball compromises... To get health care moving again in Congress, the president will have to be clear about how to deal with its costs and whether and how a public plan is to be included as an option. The two are intimately related. Enough talk. He should come out swinging for the public option."

The American Medical Association (AMA) is one of the public option's detractors, but the organization's formal opposition to the plan belies deep fissures in the medical community over public health insurance, as reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune (NT reviews). About a fifth of the country's physicians belong to the AMA, making it the largest of its kind, but with a collection of smaller groups advocating a public option, Obama may not need its full-fledged support. A physician and a health administrator co-authored an opinion in the LA Times that reiterated this point -- "lawmakers should take note: the AMA does not speak for all physicians," they wrote (NT reviews).

Critics from the right, left and center have looked to other countries' health care systems to support and reject different levels of government-sponsored insurance. Two of last week's top rated stories had a positive take on other systems. Jonathan Cohn emerged for a second time in our top stories, penning an op-ed in the Boston Globe (NT reviews) that favors the Dutch and French health care systems as worth emulating here in the U.S. And the Wall Street Journal (NT reviews) examined how some U.S. clinics have taken lessons in HIV/AIDS treatment from programs in Zambia.

Many thanks to Kristin Gorski, the host of our Health Care News Hunt, for her thoughtful reviews and leadership! (Kristin is also editing our upcoming News Literacy Guide, which we plan to release later this month). We'd also like to thank (and introduce) Joey Baker, who is spearheading our community outreach during his summer internship at NewsTrust. Joey has been actively promoting this News Hunt on Twitter, Facebook and to bloggers and publications across the political spectrum -- he has already brought in many new reviewers to our site. We're very grateful to them both for their invaluable contributions to our cause!

Our Health Care News Hunt continues through Sunday, July 12. This week we’ll look at how different news sources are covering key issues in today’s health care system. We’ll be reviewing independent news and blog coverage of this topic, as well as opinions from the right, center and left. Compare stories on our Health Care topic page.

By Derek Hawkins, with Joey Baker, Kaizar Campwala and Fabrice Florin

Obama's New Challenges

Beyond the speculation over whether President Obama's "honeymoon" period has ended, there's not much in recent news suggesting the administration's job has gotten any easier. Obama is continuing to promote his ambitious agenda and, now more than five months into his term, juggle new problems at home and abroad. Although Obama still enjoys good approval ratings, his opponents and allies alike have stepped up their criticism on a range of issues. 

Last week, our community compared news and opinion on new challenges for the Obama Administration, finding a handful of stories that went beyond mere partisanship in addressing this topic.

Several publications noted a dip in Obama's approval ratings, particularly among independent voters. The Moderate Voice analyzed (NT reviews) recent polling on the Obama administration, concluding that the president has entered a new phase where he will have to work harder to maintain his popularity:

"His true skills as a politician — someone who needs to convince and cajole other politicos to give him what he wants, build working political alliances, and create a solid political coalition to support his efforts — will be greatly tested And those skills (or lack of them) are what will make the difference between him having a successful, bland or failed presidency." 

In a similar story (NT reviews), the Wall Street Journal suggested that independents may find Obama "more liberal than they expected." According to the Journal's analysis, Obama's budget, proposal to overhaul the nation's health care system and other issues are to blame for sinking approval ratings among independents, who are more concerned about government spending than most Americans.

The Politico looked at Obama's growing pains (NT reviews) in learning how to work effectively with Congress, in one of many stories that have hinted at Obama's inexperience in Washington. Citing three local battles Obama faced in Congress last week, the Politico made this assessment:

"Obama’s intellect, oratory and immense self-confidence make him an uplifting — some say elite — figure. But Congress is a baser place, filled with all the fears and hungers of the people it represents. And to succeed in this world, Obama needs not just his top-down leadership smarts but also a bottom-up personal depth that connects with the anxieties of lawmakers and helps to move them in his direction."

Also on the legislative front, ABC News and Reuters reported on Obama's effort to enact sweeping health care reform by the end of the year. ABC criticized (NT reviews) Obama for "glossing over the thorny details" in promoting his plan, and Reuters covered (NT reviews) the Senate's struggle to create a bill that appeases some in the Republican minority without making too many compromises. 

Others said that despite some of the obstacles the administration has encountered in recent months, the president's successes appear to outweigh any setbacks. In a generally favorable piece (NT reviews) from the New York Review of Books, Michael Tomasky, American editor of the Guardian, applauded Obama's ability to walk a political "tightrope" and govern beyond partisan affiliations. The Independent also remarked (NT reviews) on Obama's disregard for liberal and conservative antagonisms in foreign policy. "Mr Obama has changed the parameters of American foreign policy, in the Middle East in particular, and the consequences have been immediate," the Independent editorialized. "Subtly, but unmistakably, he is telling America about the limits of its power."

Health Care News Hunt
President Obama has made health care reform one of his top legislative priorities, and at his urging, Congress will attempt to tackle sweeping health care legislation this summer. With billions of dollars at stake and many powerful interest groups involved, both lawmakers and the president face a rigorous challenge in the months ahead. From Monday, June 29, through Sunday, July 12, our community will follow developments in the health care debate and seek out the best journalism on this pressing topic. Help us find news and opinion about key issues in today’s health care system, and evaluate competing solutions from across the political spectrum. Compare stories (or submit new ones) on our Health Care page.

-- Derek Hawkins, with Fabrice Florin, Kaizar Campwala and Joey Baker