Description: What is useful?

Transcript: I see myself as part of a movement for social change. So when I think about what to write, I’m thinking about what would be useful. I’m thinking about what arguments would be mobilizing at a particular point. And so I . . . And maybe it’s a little bit of a different way of thinking about journalism . . . this sort of question of what would be . . . what would be useful as opposed to just what interests me; what am I curious about at this given day? I do ask myself that question. And in terms of philosophy, you know I think at this point in history just believing that every life is of equal value is enough to separate and define a mission at this point, because I think we are really up against a lot of people who just do not think that lives are of equal value. I mean even if you look at something like casualty statistics in Iraq, the idea that it’s somehow acceptable not to keep track of how many Iraqis have died, right? And what that says to the Iraqi people, to the Arab and Muslim world; just the extraordinary racism in that idea – the reporting of only American deaths; and that we don’t do body counts, whether in Afghanistan or Iraq. So just believing that every life is of equal value regardless of where you live or what skin color you are seems to be a radical idea these days.

Recorded on: 11/29/07