Propaganda

What Would the Other George Do? An Interview with the Author of "Saving General Washington"

by Judith Siers-Poisson — December 27, 2006 - 11:19am
  • Topics: Arts / Culture, Democracy, Politics, Propaganda, Religion, Science, U.S. Government, War / Peace

    • I spoke with author J.R. Norton in June of this year about his book, Saving General Washington: The Right Wing Assault on America's Founding Principles. The following excerpts are from an interview on "A Public Affair" on WORT (89.9 FM), community radio in Madison, WI, and from a follow up in-person interview.

    JSP: Why do George Washington and the rest of the Founding Fathers need to be saved?

    J.R. Norton: Well, it's a bit of metaphor. It's in part aimed at rehabilitating and reintroducing these founding figures of American history, but on a broader level, on a more important level, it's about reintroducing the values that these guys stood for. Certainly over the last five or six years, I think we've really lost sight of those virtues.

    A Tentative Thumbs-Up for Al Jazeera's English-Language Channel

    by Diane Farsetta — December 6, 2006 - 11:12am

    "If you briefly clicked by Al Jazeera International on television, you might mistake it for the BBC," the Project for Excellence in Journalism's Dante Chinni writes, citing AJI's "understated, clean graphics," "more-global view of the news," and its anchors' British accents. But AJI has "an Arab voice" and trumpets its "fearless journalism." "In a story the channel did about its own launch ... it happily pointed out that everyone criticizes Al Jazeera.

    Main Source: 
    The Christian Science Monitor, November 27, 2006

    U.S. Fake News Sales Slide

    by Bob Burton — November 21, 2006 - 9:33pm
  • Topics: Advertising, Video News Releases, International, Marketing, Propaganda, Public Relations, U.S. Government

    • One indication that the controversy over the unattributed use of video news releases (VNRs) is beginning to bite is buried in the latest quarterly financial report of Medialink Worldwide, the $30 million a year behemoth of the fake news industry.

    Lantos Set for Promotion Despite Role in Incubator Scandal

    by Bob Burton — November 16, 2006 - 11:55pm

    California Democrat Tom Lantos is reportedly the frontrunner to chair the House International Relations Committee in the next Congress. In 1990 a Hill & Knowlton created front group, Citizens for a Free Kuwait, lobbied Congress for military action after Iraq's invasion.

    Main Source: 
    Mother Jones, November 14, 2006

    FCC Commissioners Pledge Expanded Inquiry Into Fake News

    by Bob Burton — November 15, 2006 - 4:19am

    Federal Communication Commissioners (FCC) Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein have promised an investigation into each of the 46 television stations revealed by the Center for Media and Democracy's report, Still Not the News to have used undisclosed

    Main Source: 
    Democracy Now (US), November 14th, 2006

    Murdoch Downplays Iraq Death Toll

    by Bob Burton — November 7, 2006 - 5:17pm

    Speaking to journalists at a conference in Tokyo, News Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Rupert Murdoch, downplayed the death toll following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003. "The death toll, certainly of Americans there, by the terms of any previous war are quite minute," he said. "I believe it was right to go in there.

    Main Source: 
    Times of India, November 6, 2006

    Neo-Conned: Sweet Revenge for Being Duped at Vanity Fair?

    by John Stauber — November 7, 2006 - 9:24am

    Vanity Fair magazine has rushed on line an article excerpt by David Rose in which leading neoconservatives condemn Bush's handling of the war on Iraq.

    Main Source: 
    Vanity Fair online, November, 2006

    Deported Activist Wins Access to Spook's Assessment

    by Bob Burton — November 3, 2006 - 4:39am

    The U.S.-based activist Scott Parkin has won a legal victory that requires the Australian government to provide his lawyers with access to the adverse security assessment used in September 2005 as the basis for revoking his visitors visa and deporting him. Justice Ross Sundberg granted Parkin and two Iraqi asylum seekers access to their adverse security assessments.

    Main Source: 
    The Age (Australia), November 3, 2006

    Yes to Shadecloth, No to Kyoto

    by Bob Burton — November 3, 2006 - 4:31am

    The Australian Minister for Tourism, Fran Bailey, has indicated a willingness to consider covering parts of the Great Barrier Reef with shade cloth to limit damage caused to it by global warming. A trial of four five-metre square shade cloths has been undertaken over the last two years. "We're very concerned because this is a $A5.8 billion tourist industry on the reef, employing 33,000 people," Bailey said.

    Main Source: 
    ABC Radio (Australia), November 2, 2006
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