Coverage vs. Coverup

South African Lara Logan has been CBS News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent since February 2006, but as the US war in Afghanistan began in November 2001, she was anything but an established beat reporter... She conned her way in country and infiltrated the US/UK-backed Northern Alliance and even managed to interview its commander.

Extensive embedding with American armed forces (including Iraq), and the institutional values of both the military and mainstream TV journalism's approach to beat reporting have sunk in thoroughly.

So how did Michael Hastings get such candor from McChrystal and his advisers?

Speaking frankly isn't unusual, but very seldom published.

CNN's former senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre was on the military beat for 16 years. His theory: the beat reporter versus freelancer divide.

Beat reporters may be less likely to use such candid moments in their stories for fear of losing future access. For a freelancer like Hastings that's not much of a concern.

Audio Embed: WNYC's On The Media 6/26/10, Host: Bob Garfield. Video Embeds: CBS. CNN.