Propaganda

Hughes To Deploy Public Diplomacy 'SWAT Teams'

by Laura Miller — September 9, 2005 - 5:56pm

When George W.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, September 9, 2005

Propaganda, Treason and Plot

by Sheldon Rampton — August 14, 2005 - 7:59pm

"After the London bombings," reports Bob Chaundy, the British government "is looking at whether so-called 'preachers of hate' can be charged with treason. The last person to be executed for high treason, nearly 60 years ago, was the infamous Nazi propagandist Lord Haw-Haw." Chaundy profiles Lord Haw-Haw (real name William Joyce), whose program, "Germany Calling," was listened to by "an estimated third of the British nation during World War II.

Main Source: 
BBC, August 9, 2005

PR Meets Psy-Ops in War on Terror

by Laura Miller — December 1, 2004 - 12:00am

A U.S. military spokesman deliberately misled CNN as part of "an elaborate psychological operation - or 'psy-op' - intended to dupe insurgents in Fallouja," the Los Angeles Times reports. Hoping to prompt a reaction from guerrillas, the Marines told CNN on Oct. 14 that "Troops crossed the line of departure," indicating the start of the Fallouja offensive. In reality, the offensive did not begin until three weeks later. "Officials at the Pentagon and other U.S.

Main Source: 
Los Angeles Times, December 1, 2004

Terrorist PR

by Sheldon Rampton — November 24, 2004 - 12:00am

"Since Sept. 11, 2001, members of Al Qaeda have released an audio- or videotape about once every six weeks," notes Faye Bowers. In addition, terrorists are using the internet with increasing frequency and skill to influence public opinion and recruit followers.

Main Source: 
Christian Science Monitor, November 24, 2004

Extreme Internships in Iraq

by Diane Farsetta — November 18, 2004 - 12:00am

The Washington, DC-based Iraqex, "the company that inked a three-year, multi-million dollar deal to handle PR for coalition forces in Iraq," is asking interns to take the "PR challenge of the decade." Iraqex is offering 2- to 3-month internships in Iraq, for U.S. citizens with college degrees.

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Daily (reg. req'd.), November 18, 2004

Hurrah for Alhurrah

by Sheldon Rampton — October 14, 2004 - 11:00pm

Alhurrah, the U.S.-funded Arabic-language TV channel, offers a more pro-U.S. version of the news than other Arabic channels but is having a hard time reaching many viewers because of the perception that it is American propaganda. Mouafac Harb, Alhurra's news director bristles at this claim. But as U.S. Rep. José E. Serrano (D-N.Y.) said at a hearing in April, that's exactly why Congress is funding it.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, October 15, 2004

How Conspiracy Theories Took Us To War

by Sheldon Rampton — July 4, 2004 - 11:00pm

Peter Bergen, a professor of international studies and author of a recent book about Osama Bin Laden, takes a look at Laurie Mylroie of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), whose theory that Iraq was behind Al Qaeda exerted strong influence on the Bush administration's decision for war. "She is a conspiracy theorist whose political conceits have consistently been proved wrong," Bergen says.

Main Source: 
Guardian (UK), July 5, 2004

Statue Liberties

by Sheldon Rampton — July 2, 2004 - 11:00pm

In our book, Weapons of Mass Deception, we wrote that the famous toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue, a moment that seemed to symbolize victory for U.S. troops in Iraq, was staged by the U.S. army. Now the army has admitted it.

Main Source: 
Los Angeles Times, July 3, 2004

The Butchered Audio of Baghdad

by Diane Farsetta — June 30, 2004 - 11:00pm

U.S. military censors are vetting video and audio footage of Saddam Hussein's Baghdad trial, according to Variety. Some of the edited footage provided to U.S. news networks might have come from Defense Department cameras, the only ones allowed to record sound.

Main Source: 
Variety, July 1, 2004

The List

by Sheldon Rampton — June 30, 2004 - 7:42pm

"Perhaps no list of reporters has commanded such attention in Washington since Richard Nixon compiled his enemies list more than thirty years ago," writes Douglas McCollam, discussing the reporters whose names and phone numbers appear in a confidential July 2002 memorandum from the Iraqi National Congress (INC). The memo lists 108 news stories that were influenced by INC-supplied defectors.

Main Source: 
Columbia Journalism Review, June/July 2004
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