A very rare lull in homework has allowed me to comment in the National Post on the media’s coverage of the new Asia Foundation survey for Afghanistan. Unsurprisingly I’m not pleased with what the media decided to pick up on as the important story. Rather than focus on the positive signs in the survey, the Canadian Press picked support for negotiation with the Taliban as the big story. But there are serious concerns that such an arrangement would be beneficial for the people.

In reporting the news journalists are often faced with the task of gathering enormous amounts of information and then deciding the most important or relevant bits to pass on. Often the important parts are buried deep in the raw information.

When it comes to the 232-page document released by the Asia Foundation about their Afghan survey, the same problem poses itself. What The Associated Press decided was critical in the survey is that 43 per cent of Afghans strongly support Karzai’s negotiations with the Taliban.

Read the whole thing…