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Murray Waas Tells All

Update: Murray tells his story in his own words. Empty Wheel weighs in with some personal experience of her own.

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The intrepid reporter Murray Waas had a secret. He's decided to tell. Howie Kurtz in the Washington Post has the details. Murray is a cancer survivor. At age 26, he was told 90% of people with his kind of cancer are dead within two years. He sued the George Washington Medical Center and won $650,000, a verdict upheld on appeal, for failing to properly diagnose him. Happily, the doctors were wrong, and despite a recurrance in 2000, he is now cancer-free.

Some may question whether Murray's illness affected his reporting. Kurtz writes:

Waas acknowledges that the disease influenced him in the late 1980s when he was writing for the Boston Globe about the collapse of Florida health care facilities where some cancer patients had died. "I wrote that as someone who my family and doctors thought was certainly going to die from cancer," he says. "Is it relevant to my work when I report on national security, foreign policy or politics? I don't think so."

But the lines are not so easily drawn. In one of several conversations, Waas says his near-death experience made him more determined to report on how the country got into both Persian Gulf wars, with their life-and-death stakes. After watching on Capitol Hill when the Gulf War resolution was approved in 1991, Waas interviewed two men at the Vietnam War Memorial who said two of their friends had died in that war and questioned why the United States was getting into another one. He saw in this "the mirror image of my own life" -- the unresolved questions about why his cancer was missed -- and vowed to fully investigate the war.

"Cancer almost cost me my life, but the experience led me to do the most important reporting of my career," he says.

Murray will have his own explanation up sometime today. I'll link to it when it's available. I read an advance copy last night and spoke with him on the phone. Murray is a great reporter and a great person. He is a huge part of our netroots community. Please read his very moving story and give him your support. I'm proud to know him.

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  • Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#1)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 07:25:42 AM EST
    et al - First Murry says that the experience didn't affect his reporting:
    "Is it relevant to my work when I report on national security, foreign policy or politics? I don't think so."
    And then:
    In one of several conversations, Waas says his near-death experience made him more determined to report on how the country got into both Persian Gulf wars, with their life-and-death stakes.
    So the answer has to be yes. It did affect him. And he acknowledges that it did affect him while writing about the health care problems in Florida. The issue becomes disclosure. It is a little late, but his confessions on these allow his writing to be put into context, and let the reader know the background. It obviously is one of the reasons he follows the Wilson story so closely. He was against the war and wants to find reasons to further justify his belief Human beings have biases. Human beings see things through eyes and a brain that has been affected by events. To claim that reporters can report things unbiased because they are "professional" is wrong and runs totally against commonsense. And that goes for both sides.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#2)
    by jondee on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 07:43:22 AM EST
    Alright, good. We've established that everyone has biases. Hooray. That means we can dispence with the recurrent band-width wasting laments about people having "an obvious bias" and get around to actually directly addressing the arguments and information presented from now on. Good news.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#3)
    by desertswine on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 08:04:52 AM EST
    While I was writing about the origins of the first Gulf War, it was a ritual, at least every other week, to sit at dusk, or dawn, with no one else around at the Vietnam War Memorial. - Murray Waas
    Too bad we don't have more reporters with the courage and heart of Murray Waas.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#5)
    by squeaky on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 08:50:08 AM EST
    That's not exactly a political bias, though you may not have the seriousness to understand that.
    This is the understatement of the year as well as hitting the nail on the head. Emptywheel shows her compassion and kindness here, what a jewel she is. The false logic of ppj is as transparent here as elsewhere. Thin at the very least.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#6)
    by Che's Lounge on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 10:13:49 AM EST
    Save us all some time, Jim. Tell us who ISN'T biased in some way. Of course, everyone's experience with health care affects how they write/feel about the war. Wha?

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#8)
    by Dadler on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 01:19:10 PM EST
    Jim, What are your most impactful biases in terms of your view of domestic and world events?

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#9)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 02:31:37 PM EST
    emptywheel - I was trying to think of something nice to say, but just gave up. Here's my best. Glad you survived. Now go back and show me where I said anything negative about his survival. What I did say was the same thing you said. The experience made him view the world differently. That's a bias. BTW - Waas admits his bias. You're just looking for something to be critical of. Go ahead. No charge. dadler - I'll show you mine if you'll show me your's. 1. Childhood of extreme poverty causes me to react negatively towards inherited wealth. 2. Military service causes me to be react negatively towards those that don't support it. 3. Watching modern medicene morph into a money machine causes me to react negatively towards hospitals, doctors and insurance companies. (That includes medicare.) Your turn. Che writes:
    Of course, everyone's experience with health care affects how they write/feel about the war.
    From the post:
    ... Waas says his near-death experience made him more determined to report on how the country got into both Persian Gulf wars..
    Horse's mouth, etc.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#10)
    by Sailor on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 03:06:51 PM EST
    So the answer has to be yes. It did affect him.
    Uhh, of course it had an effect ... on his determination, not his reporting. Tho I understand this commenter's bias prevents him from being able to understand the difference.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#11)
    by jondee on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 03:17:32 PM EST
    Great. So we're back to where we started at the top of the thread. Jim establishing that Waas is "biased" (along with everyone else on the planet), even though no one claimed he wasn't.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#12)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 04:18:37 PM EST
    sailor - Parse all you like. Bias changes how you view the world. For a reporter that means it changes his reporting. Besides, Waas admits it changed his reporting. Read the post.
    "I wrote that as someone who my family and doctors thought was certainly going to die from cancer," he says


    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#13)
    by jondee on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 04:23:05 PM EST
    ppj - Parse all you like. Lets see your list of unbiased reporters. Take as much time as you like, and while you're at it, please point out to us where anyone claimed that Waas was "unbiased".

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#14)
    by Sailor on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 05:04:30 PM EST
    besides, Waas admits it changed his reporting.
    Waas said it didn't change his reporting, it just made him more determined ... so what exactly is your problem with reading comprehension? Could it be a brain tumor? Or just lack of a brain?

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 05:26:23 PM EST
    To claim that reporters can report things unbiased because they are "professional" is wrong and runs totally against commonsense. And that goes for both sides. Like the media outlet which made this slogan famous: "We report, you decide."
    He saw in this "the mirror image of my own life" -- the unresolved questions about why his cancer was missed -- and vowed to fully investigate the war. "Cancer almost cost me my life, but the experience led me to do the most important reporting of my career," he says.
    Now, how a resolve to fully investigate a war translates into an automatic anti-war bias is something my unserious, Left-befogged brain can't understand, but as the priest told Prof. Avenger, "It's a mystery".

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#16)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 06:46:37 PM EST
    Dark Avenger - And the priest was correct. Attack FNC at your leisure. Jondee - My point was that there are no unbiased reporters.
    Human beings have biases. Human beings see things through eyes and a brain that has been affected by events. To claim that reporters can report things unbiased because they are "professional" is wrong and runs totally against commonsense. And that goes for both sides.
    Sailor - And your point is that Waas is unbiased?
    Waas acknowledges that the disease influenced him in the late 1980s when he was writing for the Boston Globe
    Waas says his near-death experience made him more determined to report on how the country got into both Persian Gulf wars, If he has been influenced, then he has a bias.
    Influence: to affect or alter by indirect or intangible means : SWAY 2 : to have an effect on the condition or development of :
    Bias: to give a settled and often prejudiced outlook to biases him against
    Perhaps you should consider that even the great Sailor is wrong.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#17)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 06:48:40 PM EST
    sailor - I have been too subtle: Plainer: The influence caused a bias that made him more determined.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#18)
    by jondee on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 07:02:18 PM EST
    ppj - If we agree that everyone is biased, what was the point in attempting to "prove" that Waas is, other than to imply that some others (who you probobly like better) may not be?

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#19)
    by Sailor on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 07:19:28 PM EST
    being more determined to do your job is not the same as changing how you report.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#20)
    by Che's Lounge on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 08:58:25 PM EST
    Jim, Try answering the first part of my comment: Who is not biased in any way. Sailor, of course it had an effect ... on his determination, not his reporting Why does he not see this difference? It's either by choice or by being intentionally obtuse.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jun 26, 2006 at 09:50:22 PM EST
    Attack FNC at your leisure. Telling the truth is all I needed to do here, you've done most of the heavy lifting to impeach their 'credibility' for which I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    Re: Murray Waas Tells All (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jun 27, 2006 at 02:55:15 AM EST
    Alarmed, disgusted and relieved all in the same post. Greatful to and supportive of Mr. Waas!