Josh Rushing
Born
Joshua Rushing

(1972-07-24) July 24, 1972
Lewisville, Texas, U.S.
OccupationJournalist
EmployerAl Jazeera
SpousePaige Rushing
Children5
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service/branch U.S. Marine Corps
Years of service1990–2004
Rank Captain
Battles/wars
Websitewww.joshrushing.com

Josh Rushing is an American broadcast journalist and photographer. He is a correspondent for the Emmy-winning documentary series, Fault Lines, on Al Jazeera English. He is also a former officer of the United States Marine Corps (USMC).

Early life

Rushing was born in Lewisville, Texas in 1972.[1]

Career

Military service

Rushing enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1990 and completed basic training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California.

[2] He was selected for Public Affairs and attended the Defense Information School (DINFOS) in 1991. He was selected for the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) and studied at the University of Texas at Austin where he received a dual degree in Ancient History and Classic Civilization in 1999. Rushing became a Mustang upon his graduation from UT and moved to Quantico, Virginia, to further his military officer training at The Basic School (TBS). Though slated to be a Marine Corps aviator at TBS, hearing loss prevented Rushing from completing flight school. Instead, he returned to Public Affairs and reported to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. Rushing moved to Los Angeles in 2002 where he represented the Marine Corps in Hollywood in the Marine Corps Motion Picture and Television Liaison Office.

Aware of future military operations in the Middle East, Rushing volunteered to deploy with forward units before the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Rushing was assigned to United States Central Command (CENTCOM) in Doha, Qatar, during Operation Iraqi Freedom where he served as a spokesperson to General Tommy Franks. Unbeknownst to him, an independent film, Control Room, captured his efforts to communicate the American message on Al Jazeera Arabic. The documentary debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 and enjoyed theatrical release across the world.[3] After the Pentagon ordered him not to comment on the film,[4] he left the Marine Corps after 14 years of active duty service in October 2004 and later helped start Al Jazeera English in 2005.[5]

Broadcasting work

Rushing has been with Al Jazeera English since the run-up to its launch. As an international correspondent, Rushing has hosted and produced programs all over the world. So far in 2011 Rushing has filmed two Fault Lines episodes in Mexico - "Mexico: Impunity and Profits",[6] and "Mexico's Hidden War"[7] - plus a third in Colombia.[8] He has also traveled to Iraq, for the eighth time, to provide special news coverage marking the 6-month milestone before the planned withdrawal of the U.S. military.[9]

Writings

Rushing's book, Mission Al Jazeera: Build a Bridge, Seek the Truth, Change the World,[10] was published by Palgrave-MacMillan in 2007. The book blends his personal story with a unique behind-the-scenes look into the controversial AlJazeera broadcast networks. Rushing is also published in Reader's Digest's 10th Anniversary of 9/11 special edition.[11]

Rushing blogged regularly for AJE and the Huffington Post before beginning his own online journal.

Personal life

He is married, with a daughter and four sons.

Notes

  1. ↑ Memmott, Mark (September 28, 2005). "Marine joins Al-Jazeera". USA Today.
  2. ↑ Rushing, Josh Rushing (June 20, 2007). "Ex-Marine Josh Rushing on his Journey from Military Mouthpiece to Al Jazeera Correspondent". Democracy Now! (Interview). Interviewed by Amy Goodman.
  3. ↑ Schulman, Daniel (November–December 2006). "The Education Of Lieutenant Rushing". Mother Jones.
  4. ↑ Mazzetti, Mark (August 2, 2004). "Marine Lands in Film, Collides With Superiors: A military spokesman is silenced after candid comments in a movie on Al Jazeera and Iraq war". L.A. Times online repost by commondreams.org. Archived from the original on January 11, 2006.
  5. ↑ Donnelly, Sally B. (September 27, 2005). "Al Jazeera Hires an Ex-Marine". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on October 13, 2005.
  6. ↑ "Josh Rushing". YouTube.
  7. ↑ "Josh Rushing". YouTube.
  8. ↑ "Josh Rushing". YouTube.
  9. ↑ "Josh Rushing". YouTube.
  10. ↑ Rushing, Josh; Elder, Sean (June 12, 2007). Mission Al-Jazeera: Build a Bridge, Seek the Truth, Change the World. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1403979056.
  11. ↑ "Reader's Digest: Official Site to Subscribe & Find Great Reads". Reader's Digest.

References

Books
  • Rushing, Josh (2007). Mission: Al-Jazeera. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1403979056.
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