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Scanning the Sunday Opinion section yesterday, I completely missed that Hugh Hewitt wrote the second installment of the Times' new commentary spot, "Outside the Tent." That's where the editors intend to give non-fans space to lambaste the paper. The Republican pundit, talk-show host, author and blogger uses his 735 words to urge the Times to come around to his views of the Iraq war and terrorism:
I have picked The Times' coverage of the war on terrorism to criticize because that coverage is woefully inadequate, failing to educate the paper's readership on the nature and extent of the threat the country faces.[skip]
I would like to see The Times restructure its coverage to accomplish crucial objectives:
• Do more to identify and inform the readers on the organization, leadership and capabilities of the Islamist terrorist network, paying more attention to experts who support the war in Iraq and believe, along with President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and many others, that the battles there will ultimately slow the spread of terrorism elsewhere.
• Start a daily — a daily — feature on the Global War on Terrorism and call it that. Explain the money trail and detail the leadership and do so with the repetition that assures that readers are not overwhelmed with one giant aircraft carrier of a piece. Give them the digestible segments that make for understanding...
Hewitt mentions on his blog that it marks his return to the LAT's pages for the first time in six years. Last week's initial Outside the Tent from Mickey Kaus urged the paper to report more gossip, especially about the lives of local pols. Some letters about that ran Sunday too.