The Ousting of ‘The Runaway General’ Proves Print Media Is Still Relevant

If there is any doubt about the power of the media, simply pick up the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine, and then turn on any TV news or read any online news site and you’ll realize the impact print media can have. In “Runaway General,” a profile of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in the Afghanistan War, author Michael Hastings paints a picture of a general who has no problem with questioning authority, a basic military no-no. Throughout the article, McChrystal uses disparaging remarks regarding President Obama and White House officials:

• Asking “Who’s that” when being asked about Vice President Joe Biden. An advisor referring to Biden as “Bite Me.”
• According to those close, McChrystal thought Obama looked “uncomfortable and intimidated” when the President met with a dozen military officials at the Pentagon.

Before the magazine even officially came out, Obama called McChrystal to a meeting at the White House, giving the general a chance to explain the comments. His explanation apparently wasn’t good enough, as Obama, in making the announcement that McChrystal was out and Gen. David Petraeus is in, said McChrystal’s remarks in Rolling Stone represents conduct that "undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system."

While I don’t think any journalist gets into the profession to see someone get fired, the resulting exposure, discussion and change that came from this particular story is something most hope to experience at some point in their career. Because of one story, the president of the United States made a strategic change in his team, and in a war that has gone on for nearly a decade. That is a big deal. For his part, Hastings said he didn’t think the story would get the general fired. “I thought his position was basically untouchable, he told NBC's “Today” show Thursday. What may be even more surprising than how McChrystal was characterized in the story, is how the general reacted. He did not question the accuracy of the piece. Instead, he simply admitted to using poor judgment when speaking with the reporter. The story, before it went to press, went through a regular fact checking process and everything was cleared by McChrystal and his people.

People will continue to discuss the missteps McChrystal took that resulted in his ouster for a while, but hopefully people will also remember that print media is not dead and can still have a major impact.

Kristi Eaton is a staff writer for Campus Progress. She graduated from Arizone State University in 2008.

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