Ethan Bronner's Fair and Balanced Coverage

Pro-Palestinian extremists have sought the head of Ethan Bronner, the New York Times' man in Jerusalem, since it was learned that Bronner's son has joined the IDF. Now comes a thoughtful analysis from James Rainey in The Los Angeles Times, who discovers -- wait for it -- that it is possible to cover the Middle East fairly, despite your entanglements:

I went through his coverage, particularly during Israel's war last year in Gaza, and found that Bronner treated both sides without apparent favor.

His stories reflected the fear and anger felt in Israel after an incessant string of rocket attacks. But it also captured accounts of an Israeli counterattack that sometimes went too far, killing innocents and destroying homes.

Another typical Bronner piece, about the shadow existence of many Israeli Arabs, also brimmed with nuance. It concluded that "Israel's 1.3 million Arab citizens are still far less well off than Israeli Jews and feel increasingly unwanted."

All of this buttresses my belief that if your goal in life is to be popular, you should become a fireman. If your goal in life is to be unpopular, then you should cover the Middle East.