From very early on, the media’s real problem in Iraq was not covering the success stories even when they were happening right in front of their faces. Take this glowing example from the heady, hopeful days of the Coalition Provisional Authority, where dedicated executive branch appointees worked tirelessly to rebuild Iraq in the White House’s own, Sforzian image:
As the occupation wore on, Senor became the most visible CPA official after Bremer. Clad in a suit, he held televised press briefings several times a week in the Convention Center. The briefing room was decorated by a White House image consultant, who was flown to Baghdad to specify the dimensions and location of the backdrop — a gold seal emblazoned with the words Coalition Provisional Authority. The consultant also had two big-screen plasma televisions affixed to the wall so Senor could play video clips. While other CPA officials waited months for equipment and staff to arrive from the United States, the press room’s needs were quickly met.
that’s an excerpt from former Washington Post Baghdad bureau chief Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s book, Imperial Life in the Emerald City, which kind of makes you yearn for the good old days of 2003. kinda sorta.