"Ware discussed his PTSD in a disturbing December 2008 Men's Journal piece. “I am not the same f**king person," reads the lead.
It's unclear exactly how long he's been on leave, but the last update on his personal website was on Dec. 18, 2009.
Ware is a successful and well-loved correspondent, and fans have been getting curious about his absence.
Indeed, All Things CNN writes:
His work for CNN over the past four years has been an astonishing and brutally honest look at the causes and results of war. Not easy subject matter to watch… but he made us care. His urgency and passion burst through our television sets and made us pay attention, made us want to understand.
You'd think that given CNN's ratings troubles it would be doing anything it can to give the viewers what they want." Business Insider
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Ware is "not the same f**king person." Of course not; how could he be? Some memories are burned on the soul, forever. His reporting was always the best rivaled only by that of Richard Engel. CNN seems to have lost its way, converted into a vehicle for propaganda. I guess Mike's unblinking, profane and fearless reporting was just too much for them. pl
Last I saw, he was reporting from Mexico..not so different than Iraq. He was on the scene perhaps minutes after an entire family was butchered, kids and all.
I appreciated how he combined passion, empathy, & a cold command of the facts.
Given what’s happening to Mexico’s own journalists, it’s sad to lose one of the few American ones with balls enough to report the thing straight.
“I guess Mike’s unblinking, profane and fearless reporting was just too much for them.”
Ware’s reports will be sorely missed on a 24/7 news channel that needs to move toward more “guts” reporting, not slink away from it. Frankly, I hardly watch CNN anymore- get my news from reading newspapers/news sites on the net. As for the tube, PBS News Hour, BBC News, & some MSNBC is about it.
Does CNN wish to be known for formulaic, timid reporting? I’d think they might get a real shot in the ratings arm by bringing more reporters the caliber of Michael Ware into their line up.
How about another example: When Bill Moyers retires, who is going to interview Andrew Bacevich?
None of the networks excell at communicating inconvenient truths.
My Australian Army friends were less than impressed with Mr. Ware’s reporting. They described him as a bit over the top.
watcher
IMO over the top is good. pl
Watcher
Yes, he was over the top. But it was because he was reporting the truth, and putting his heart and soul into it, and nobody listened, nobody cared.
There isn’t much of that around – in the media, or, I suspect, in the places where they make policy.
I met him a couple of times, once when we were waiting for a flight to Baghdad delayed by sandstorms, another time in the Green/ “International” Zone while we were walking to a gate. He’s a nice guy.
I was a fan of his Iraq reports, as were others who worked with me in Iraq. He provided some rare outbursts of truth.
Arwa Damon has been in some dangerous places and done some good reporting, too. I hope CNN takes care of her better than they did Ware.
fist, old news but incredibly glad you’re still pressing forward.
ware’s one of the few guys/gals in msm to have been permitted continued face time despite their honesty (with it’s realpolishtik limitations).
i always listened to what he said because it was obviously the truthiest available.
no wonder he’s burned out.
i hope and trust he finds something good to do and doesn’t follow in wolfie’s pawsteps.
the situation room??? ha!
col, not to give you and your esteemed peers another assignment for the good of the country, but is there something…
Mike Ware is one hell of a reporter.
great perspective and humanity shine through his reporting…much more than what you get on american pravda.
Domestically I think the last report with emotion was from New Orleans during hurricane Katrina. I believe that was Mayor Nagin. Not much since that from the MSM. Shame on us.
I liked his reporting. A pity. Hopefully he will find a new venue after finding a way to cope. CNN made a stupid and callous move in kicking him out.
I know Mick a little in Iraq. I thought he got things wrong sometimes, maybe overginned a story here and there… but there was always a fundamental honesty and self-criticism there. He was never, ever got it wrong for careerist reasons.
The thing that matters is caring about getting it right — that the truth matters. He has that caring in spades. A rare, and vanishing, quality in the infotainment industry.