War / Peace

"Propagandist" Gets Solitary Confinement

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on July 3, 2003 - 11:00pm

Veteran peace activist William "Bud" Combs recently spent 90 days in jail for protesting against Fort Benning's Western Hemisphere Institute of Security Cooperation (aka the School of the Americas). "What the veteran peace activist didn't know was that he would spend eight days of his sentence in solitary confinement," writes Bill Berlow. "His apparent offense: receiving and sharing with other inmates what federal authorities consider disruptive, if not subversive, political literature.

Main Source:

Tallahassee Democrat, July 4, 2003

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Anger Rises for Families of Troops in Iraq

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on July 3, 2003 - 11:00pm

It is becoming increasingly obvious that the war that "ended" on May 1 is still underway. "Military families, so often the ones to put a cheery face on war, are growing vocal," writes Jeffrey Gettleman.

Main Source:

New York Times, July 4, 2003

Topics:

Iraq

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US Public Catching On To Big Lie?

Submitted by Laura Miller on July 1, 2003 - 11:00pm

"For the first time since the beginning of the war in Iraq, a solid majority of Americans believe the Bush administration either 'stretched the truth' about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction or told outright lies, according to a new opinion survey," Agence France-Presse reports. A University of Maryland poll conducted from June 18 to 25 found that 52 percent of respondents said they believed President George W. Bush and his aides were "stretching the truth, but not making false statements" about Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's chemical, biological and nuclear programs.

Main Source:

Agence France-Press, July 2, 2003

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The Big Lie Tactic Keeps on Working

Submitted by John Stauber on June 30, 2003 - 11:00pm

A favorite PR trick of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels is known as the big lie tactic -- repeating a falsehood over and over until most people believe it . Unfortunately, as we relate in our new book Weapons of Mass Deception, lies worked well in selling the war on Iraq.

Main Source:

Associated Press, July 1, 2003

Topics:

Iraq

Rhetoric

U.S. Government

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War Is The Toughest Story In Journalism

Submitted by Laura Miller on June 29, 2003 - 11:00pm

"War, unlike any other news event, asks profound questions of journalists," writes Roy Greenslade in the Guardian. "How do we separate truth from propaganda? How do we overcome the dilemma of political and military leaders controlling access to vital information? What value do we place on what we see on the frontline as against what we are told back at headquarters? ... These questions hovered over last week's Media Guardian forum on war coverage as reporters and desk-bound decision-makers explained how and why they acted as they did.

Main Source:

Guardian (UK), June 30, 2003

Topics:

Iraq

Journalism

International

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Military Recruitment Ads Focus On Parents

Submitted by Laura Miller on June 29, 2003 - 11:00pm

The U.S. Department of Defense has launched a new $1.7 million ad campaign designed to convince parents and other adults to encourage young people to join the military. The Washington Times reports that campaign features five successful veterans, highlighting "qualities such as commitment and perseverance" that the vets have gained from service. "We focus on the more emotional aspects the military has to offer," George Rogers, vice president of the agency that created the ads, told the Times.

Main Source:

Washington Times, June 30, 2003

Topics:

Advertising

U.S. Government

War / Peace

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Iraq Elections Would Be "Destructive"

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on June 26, 2003 - 11:00pm

So much for "Operation Iraqi Freedom." William Booth and Rajiv Chandrasekaran report that "U.S.

Main Source:

Washington Post, June 27, 2003

Topics:

Iraq

Democracy

The "Left-Wing" Media?

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on June 25, 2003 - 11:00pm

"If we learn nothing else from the war on Iraq and its subsequent occupation, it is that the U.S. ruling class has learned to make ideological warfare as important to its operations as military and economic warfare," write Robert W. McChesney and John Bellamy Foster in this excerpt from their upcoming book, The Big Picture: Understanding Media through Political Economy.

Main Source:

http://monthlyreview.org/0603editr.htm

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Major Media 'Kiss Ass' For Deregulation

Submitted by Laura Miller on June 24, 2003 - 11:00pm

American TV networks gave the Bush administration glowing coverage of Iraq war in exchange for the relaxation of media ownership rules, according to Michael Wolff, a media commentator and New York Magazine columnist.

Main Source:

Guardian (UK), June 25, 2003

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