Submitted by Laura Miller on
"A recent Washington Post article describing the killing of civilians by U.S. soldiers at a checkpoint outside the Iraqi town of Najaf proved that 'embedded' journalists do have the ability to report on war in all its horror. But the rejection by some U.S. outlets of Post correspondent
Submitted by John Stauber on
USA Today reports on "a surge of anti-Americanism that threatens to erode the global dominance of American brands. ... Nike, Coca-Cola and McDonald's are just a few examples of U.S. companies that sell more than half their products abroad. Their value and the prices they can charge depend strongly on their brand image. And though Coke, Levi's, Budweiser and the like have nothing to do with the Bush administration's foreign policy, they become de facto targets for protesters lashing out at the USA's dominance. ...
Submitted by John Stauber on
George Hesselberg writes, "let me be the 500th columnist in the United States to jump on the French's Mustard public relations people for the company's astounding press release that got -- congratulations -- national press last week. The company wanted everyone to know that 'The only thing French about French's mustard is the name!' ... And leave it to Hollywood to make the peace sign a commercial symbol. The comedy movie, What a Girl Wants, is advertised picturing the lead actress ... flashing the peace sign. ...
Submitted by Laura Miller on
"'Fog' is the watchword of this war, with the lines between fact and propaganda being blurred on a daily basis. The demands of round-the-clock news means military claims are being relayed instantly to millions without being confirmed or verified only to be refuted later by reporters on the ground or by fresh military updates," the Guardian writes in an article examining contradictory claims made in first two weeks of war on Iraq.
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on
Al-Jazeera reporter Tayseer Allouni has been ordered out of Baghdad by the Iraqi government, which is unhappy with his reporting. In response, the Arabic satellite network has suspended reporting from the country until it gets an explanation. The action comes at a time when, according to Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post, U.S. journalists are "pumped" by reports of a POW rescue and news of fresh U.S. military advances.
Submitted by Laura Miller on
"Turkey, which agreed on April 2 to let the U.S. transport supplies through its territory to coalition forces in Iraq, used its large team of American lobbyists to get its message of long-term friendship and strategic importance across to members of Congress," O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports. "The lobbyists were sent into action after some members of Congress, who were upset over Turkey's refusal to let U.S.
Submitted by Laura Miller on
"Germans appear to be viewing the war through a prism that highlights the human costs, difficulties and risks. Media and political analysts say that perspective springs from three interconnected sources: public attitudes against the war, the German government's opposition to it and the occasionally antiwar tone of German media coverage," the Washington Post's Robert J. McCartney writes.
TomPaine.com commentator Nina Burleigh writes
Submitted by Laura Miller on
"They may not get as much attention as their media counterparts, but dozens of Pentagon public affairs officers are 'embedded' right alongside the reporters in Iraq," PR Week reports. "The Pentagon also maintains the Coalition Press Information Center (CPIC) in Kuwait, a base of operations for public affairs officers not traveling with troops.
Submitted by Laura Miller on
"In the good old days, the US used to tell a lie -- crass propaganda -- and it would stick for a long time. Journalists would have to scurry for months before they could expose the lies, but by then it would be almost irrelevant," writes London-based economist Paul de Rooij
Submitted by Laura Miller on
Government officials from the U.S. and U.K. insist on labeling the American and British forces in Iraq as "coalition forces" despite the fact that the majority of "coalition of the willing" countries are providing little to no support for the Iraq invasion.
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