New confidential documents released by the site WikiLeaks contribute to our increasingly clear—and chilling—picture of the war in Afghanistan. The Nation‘s Katrina vanden Heuvel notes that the documents, released simultaneously by the New York Times, the Guardian and Germany’s Der Spiegel, as well as in full by WikiLeaks, are an example of "asymmetrical media," allowing the public to access the raw documents as well as the parts filtered by the traditional press.

The important thing, vanden Heuvel says, is getting the message out to the public, whether that message be about the WikiLeaks revelations, Andrew Breitbart’s fraudulent journalism or the potential Elizabeth Warren holds to curb Wall Street’s excesses. Vanden Heuvel joins The Nation on Grit TV to unmask the mainstream media’s reluctance to cover the important issues, instead focusing on the hysterical smear campaigns that too often pass for news.

The Nation on GRIT TV is a weekly video collaboration between The Nation and GRIT TV with Laura Flanders. Watch for Monday briefings, Wednesday commentaries, weekend conversations and more at TheNation.com. For full half-hour episodes of The Nation on GRIT TV, or local television air times visit www.grittv.org.