Now that the generals have announced the end of the military campaign in Iraq, media organisations will conduct their own post-mortems. Pundits and politicians agree that the war was the most televised in recent history, but what does that mean in terms of quality journalism? One of the most surprising aspects of the rolling, often repetitious, coverage was the way that basic tenets of journalism were proven true: that is, good reporting is based on firsthand observation and powerfully evoked detail. No amount of studio analysis can equal a journalist – notebook or microphone in hand – speaking to people on the streets. The journalism of Osmar White, the noted Australian war correspondent, exemplifies this.