Iraq

'Embedded' Reporters Key To White House PR Plan

by Laura Miller — March 23, 2003 - 11:00pm

"The eruption of war in Iraq last week set in motion a massive global PR network, cultivated by the Bush administration during the months-long buildup of forces. The network is intended not only to disseminate, but also to dominate news of the conflict around the world," PR Week writes.

Main Source: 
PR Week, March 24, 2003

On NPR, Please Follow the Script

by Laura Miller — March 23, 2003 - 11:00pm

"Last week I found out that National Public Radio wants the opinions of antiwar activists -- as long as we follow the right script," writes University of Texas journalism professor and co-founder of the Nowar Collective Robert Jensen. "After the first question, it was clear [NPR's Scott] Simon expected me to follow a script that would go something like this: Yes, I'm against this war, but I know that Saddam Hussein is such a monster that nothing short of war can deal with him.

Main Source: 
Commondreams.org, March 24, 2003

Who Lied to Whom About Iraq's Nuclear Program?

by John Stauber — March 23, 2003 - 11:00pm

Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh asks, "Why did the Administration endorse a forgery about Iraq's nuclear program?" How did the misinformation end up in the President's State of the Union address, and who has been fooling whom to make sure the US attacked Iraq?

Main Source: 
The New Yorker, March 24, 2003

Media Conglomerate Funds Pro-War Rallies

by John Stauber — March 23, 2003 - 11:00pm

"These demonstrators wore shorts
and ball caps, pushed strollers and carried American flags,
but what most set them apart was the support they displayed ... for the
American-led war in Iraq. ... It was meant as ... an
angry protest against the antiwar sentiment that has been
more visible elsewhere, particularly in large cities. 'Don't let these peace protesters confuse you,' Glenn Beck,
a conservative radio host from Philadelphia, told the crowd
estimated at 10,000 here today. ... Over the last few weeks, Mr.

Main Source: 
New York Times, March 24, 2003

Shocking and Awful

by Sheldon Rampton — March 22, 2003 - 2:10pm

Pundits have depicted the U.S. military strategy of "shock and awe" in largely sanitary terms, suggesting that the high accuracy of laser-guided "smart bombs" will make it possible to decapitate the Iraqi command and control structure while leaving the country's infrastructure intact and limiting civilian casualties.

Main Source: 
http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Shock_and_awe

Anti-War Reporting Banned in UK Papers

by Sheldon Rampton — March 21, 2003 - 11:42pm

"Sir Ray Tindle, the editor in chief of over 100 weekly newspapers across
Britain has informed all his editors that they can no longer report any
anti-war stories in their newspapers," reports Andy Rowell. Jeremy Dear of the UK's National Union of Journalists, condemned the move: " So much for the right to know, free speech and all those other rights which our forefathers fought to establish and which Sir Ray Tindle seeks to demolish at the stroke of a pen," Dear stated.

Main Source: 
http://www.prwatch.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=2060

Media Allowed Bush to Mislead the Public Into War

by John Stauber — March 21, 2003 - 11:00pm

"Critics of the war ... blame the
news media, asserting that they failed to challenge the
administration aggressively enough as it made a shaky case
for war. In an interview, Eric Alterman ... argued,
'Support for this war is in part a reflection that the
media has allowed the Bush administration to get away with
misleading the American people.' ... The strongest indictment of the press, many of these
critics argue, are recent polls that suggest many Americans
see Iraq as being responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks.

Main Source: 
New York Times, March 22, 2003

Secret Bids to Rebuild Iraq

by Sheldon Rampton — March 21, 2003 - 11:00pm

"Weeks before the first bombs dropped in Iraq, the Bush administration began rebuilding plans," reports ABC News, which has obtained a copy of a 99-page contract worth $600 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) - the most money the agency has ever spent in a single country in a single year. Among the companies believed to be bidding are Bechtel, Fluor, Parsons, the Washington Group and Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's old firm," ABC reports. "All are experienced. But in addition, all are generous political donors - principally to Republicans."

Main Source: 
ABC News, March 22, 2003

Iraqi Warblogs

by Sheldon Rampton — March 21, 2003 - 2:59pm

Independent weblogs are "changing not only the way the new war will be waged, but also the way citizens can get information about the conflict," reports Dan Fost.

Main Source: 
San Francisco Chronicle, March 21, 2003

Spinning the "Coalition of the Willing"

by Sheldon Rampton — March 19, 2003 - 11:00pm

"The Bush administration has frequently compared the level and scope of international support for its military operations in Iraq to the coalition that fought the first Persian Gulf War," reports Glenn Kessler. "But the statements are exaggerations, according to independent experts and a review of figures from both conflicts." The so-called "coalition of the willing is almost entirely a U.S.-British campaign, with virtually no military contribution from other countries except Australia.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, March 20, 2003
Syndicate content