Propaganda

The How (But Not the Why) of FEMA's Fake News Conference

by Diane Farsetta — November 9, 2007 - 1:28pm

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) internal investigation into last month's fake news conference found that FEMA press secretary Aaron Walker "directed aides to pose as reporters, secretly coached them during the briefing and ended the event after a final, scripted question was asked," reports Spencer Hsu.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, November 9, 2007

Another FEMA Faker Resigns

by Diane Farsetta — November 8, 2007 - 4:09pm

The California wildfire press conference staged last month by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staffers, who asked questions of their boss as though they were reporters, has claimed a second job.

Main Source: 
Editor & Publisher, November 7, 2007

Orwell Revisited

by Sheldon Rampton — November 7, 2007 - 2:03am

In his classic essay "Politics and the English Language," George Orwell described political speech as consisting "largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness." Six decades later, several journalism schools are co-sponsoring a conference titled "There You Go Again: Orwell Comes to America," to examine "the tactics of disinformation and manipulation diagnosed by Orwell ...

Main Source: 
www.ThereYouGoAgain.org

NATO Considers Joining the Media War

by Diane Farsetta — October 31, 2007 - 3:21pm

"At the end of a two-day informal meeting of defence ministers in the Netherlands, NATO's secretary general reiterated ...

Main Source: 
The Canadian Press, October 25, 2007

"Legitimate Visitors" to U.S. Get the Disney Treatment

by Diane Farsetta — October 25, 2007 - 5:42pm

Travelers flying into the United States via airports in Washington DC and Houston are being shown "a sappy seven-minute film made by the folks at Walt Disney showcasing all that is

Main Source: 
The Independent (UK), October 24, 2007

Newspaper Used as Slush Fund for Pentagon PR?

by Diane Farsetta — October 22, 2007 - 1:11pm

The U.S. Defense Department Inspector General's review of the "America Supports You" (ASY) program has widened to include the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes.

Main Source: 
Stars and Stripes, October 20, 2007

Time To Pay for Payola Pundit Armstrong Williams

by Diane Farsetta — October 19, 2007 - 7:40pm
  • Topics: Pundits, Video News Releases, Fake TV News, Media, Propaganda, Public Relations, U.S. Government

    • Perhaps, in the case of Armstrong Williams, the third time will be the charm.

    The first two official investigations failed to hold anyone accountable for what can only be described as a textbook case of government propaganda. The results of the third investigation, by the Federal Communications Commission, were announced recently (PDF file). The FCC found Williams and two media companies to be at fault, issuing a citation against Williams and proposing fines of $40,000 against Sonshine Family Television and $36,000 against Sinclair Broadcast Group.

    U.S. Does Democracy Demotion in Iran

    by Diane Farsetta — October 18, 2007 - 3:26pm

    "The United States has begun a $75-million program to promote democracy by supporting Iranian NGO's [non-governmental organizations]," write Haleh Esfandiari and Robert Litwak. "That program, coupled with loose talk about regime change ...

    Main Source: 
    Chronicle of Higher Education, October 19, 2007

    Shared Values Revisited

    by Sheldon Rampton — October 17, 2007 - 7:17pm
  • Topics: Advertising, Terrorism, International, Propaganda, Religion

    • I received a request recently from a university professor who teaches a course about media literacy. She was wondering if I could help her find videos of the "Shared Values" television ads that the U.S. Department of State produced to improve the image of the United States in Muslim countries shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, so she could show them to her students.

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