I know you're expecting an update on what we're up to in Israel and I promise one is on its way, but on occasion the need will strike me to write about something other than myself. Shocking, I know.
Although overseas I have still made it a point to keep abreast of current events at home. For the past few days I have followed a story about a government that pays off journalists and strategically places propaganda in the form of ads and news articles in the news outlets of another country it is attempting to democratize. Perhaps you've heard of the story and I'm not telling you anything you didn't already know. On the other hand, perhaps you had no idea that the American government was undermining its own credibility and moral code of ethics, meanwhile embarassing every college journalism program around the country.
I believe it to be reprehensible when our own government resorts to fascist tactics to control the message of the media for its own gain. I believe it to be unforgivable when our own government bribes journalists, at home and abroad, to shill for its policies and undermine the institution of a free press. The very concept of a free press gives it the ability and some would say the responsibility to report acurately on current events and the people or groups involved. No journalist or news outlet should be beholden to any point of view other than their own.
I urge you to read into this story and seek out as much as you can about it. In my opinion it is a perfect example of all the issues building between Americans and our own government, not to mention the pathetic and reckless ways we're interacting with the people and governments of other countries.
I've included links below. Hope they let me back in the country when it comes time to go home in May...
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/03/politics/03propaganda.html
http://www.salon.com/wire/ap/D8E89HJG0.html
http://alternet.org/mediaculture/29151/
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From Nealz Nuz 12-1-2005
ReplyDeletePAYING FOR PROPAGANDA
The latest media outrage is the revelation that the Pentagon may have paid money to plant favorable stories in the Iraqi press. In fact, as the story goes, they went so far as to put pro-Democracy journalists on the payroll. So if it's true, what does this mean?
Who cares. This is war. It's OK to kill people and break things in a war, but it is not OK to try to influence public opinion? We are fighting a war in Iraq...and the goal is to win. Propaganda is part of any war effort, going back for decades. If paying some bucks to get stories printed saves American lives, why not? Somebody has to counter the doom and gloom of the pro-terrorist international media. But all of the indignation over this practice really goes much further than paying for stories.
It's the media's outrage that anybody would dare to report the good news in Iraq. Don't they know we're losing the war? It's a lost cause....the Americans should just leave so Zarqawi can set up shop and continue killing the non-believers.
And by the way, aren't the liberally biased reporters who reprint DNC talking points doing the same thing? Actually, come to think of it, they're working for free.
http://boortz.com/nuze/200512/12012005.html
Don't drink too much Kool-Aid
dave,
ReplyDeletedid you fall into a black hole? We need updates buddy!