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The article presents the author's experiences as a Brazilian and a foreign correspondent for Brazilian media groups including Estado, Veja and Rede Globo. He shares that his work gave him the chance to view Brazil from the perspective of other cultures. His Latin American accent helped him be non-threatening in his work as a foreign correspondent in the Middle East, while Russians view Brazilians through Ostap Bender, a character in "The Twelve Chairs," by Eugene Ilf and Vladimir Petrov.

Questions what the author claims to be "The New York Times" correspondent Deborah Sontag's revisionist view of Middle East diplomacy. Her avoidance of the notion of Palestinian intifida in a Middle East retrospective published by the newspaper; Her purported disregard for the Palestinian decision to wed diplomacy with violence as the main factor that ruined the quest for peace; Questions about the credibility of her reporting.

Interviews Robert Fisk, a foreign correspondent of the London periodical `Independent' on his life as a foreign correspondent in the Middle East. Information on Fisk's report in 1996 at the Qana refugee camp in Lebanon; Story behind an Israeli attack on a Lebanese ambulance; Why certain news from Middle East do not reach the United States; Constraints when doing coverage in Israel.

Comments on what the author perceives as the U.S. President George W. Bush administration's contradictory attitude toward the war on terror. Efforts by Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to transform U.S. policy and change its image in the Muslim world; Issue of the administration's warrior ethos and coercive interrogation designed to humiliate prisoners by offending their faith; Uncertainty over whether treatment of prisoners followed the Geneva conventions; How military effective methods can generate huge political costs; Attitude of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld regarding Abu Ghraib; Issue of litigation by released prisoners; Intense scrutiny of American soldiers by both domestic and foreign media.

Profiles Hussein Ibish, a Lebanese-American and Washington correspondent for the Arab world's most prominent English-language paper, the Daily Star. Pioneer for a new type of Middle Eastern advocacy; Description as a hero among civil libertarians and Arab-Americans alike; Examples from his encounters with prominent media figures; Expressions of appreciation from Arab-Americans.

The article presents information on correspondents William Stewart and William Drozdiak of the periodical "TIME," who head the periodical's two bureaus in the Middle East. Stewart, who is posted in Lebanon, says that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) now functions in Lebanon as a state within a state. Drozdiak says that any event, such as a bombing in Baghdad, or a riot in Syria, can have repercussions elsewhere.

The article offers the insights of diplomatic correspondent Strobe Talbott of "Time" regarding the participation of U.S. President Jimmy Carter on the sacred mission of Anwar Sadat to Jerusalem. According to Talbott, Carter and his chief official for the Middle East Cyrus Vance as well as their colleagues have contributed for making the Sadat-Prime Minister Menachem Begin summit possible. He cites that Carter has achieved to get the two principals in the conflict of the joint declaration of U.S. and Soviet Union on the Middle East to consider a final and comprehensive settlement. Moreover, Carter has explained that the approach of Henry Kissinger had become the reason for not discussing the basic issues. He adds that Vance has been an honest broker who can be trusted by both sides.

The author criticizes the decision of National Broadcasting Corp. (NBC) to pull out Ayman Mohyeldin, who has been reporting from Gaza for years, and to replace him with Richard Engel just as Israel invaded Gaza in response to rocket attacks by Hamas in July 2014. Topics discussed include Mohyeldin's experience in the Middle East, his coverage of Israeli air strikes that killed Palestinian civilians, and NBC's reason for his withdrawal, which the author believes is a political move.

The article presents an interview with Said Hyder Akbar, author of the book "Come Back to Afghanistan." He was asked about his profession in journalism. He emphasized that his book says a lot about the relationship between the U.S. and the Middle East. He admitted that he became cynical in writing the book because of incidents of human rights violations in Afghanistan.

Profiles author Demaree Bess. Information on the war coverage written by Bess; Background of the author as a foreign correspondent in the Middle East.

The article presents an interview with Megan Stack, bureau chief for the "Los Angeles Times." She states the news interest to U.S. readers of the Middle East. She tells about her advantage as a female reporter in Iraq. She remarks on the need for a more creative approach in selecting stories during quiet times.