War / Peace

War Is For Children: Reading, Writing and Recruitment

by Judith Siers-Poisson — July 19, 2006 - 10:07am
  • Topics: Iraq, Children, Politics, U.S. Government, War / Peace

    • As a child I absolutely adored Cricket magazine, published by Carus Publishing. I now have a twelve-year old daughter who likewise enjoys their magazines for kids, but the May 2006 issue of Cobblestone Magazine floored me with its blatant pro-military marketing pitch to children.

    Chances are, depending on your age, that either you or your children have read one of Carus’ publications at home, school, the library, or a doctor’s waiting room. For the smallest tykes—those under seven years old—they offer Ladybug, Babybug, and Click magazines. For six- to nine-year olds they put out Spider, Ask, and Appleseeds. And for the “tweens,” Calliope, Cobblestone, Cricket, Dig, Faces, Muse, Odyssey, and Cicada.

    Afghanistan's Media War

    by Diane Farsetta — June 23, 2006 - 11:35am

    In Afghanistan, "the Taliban now have three different press spokesmen covering three separate regions of the country. In Kandahar this summer, Taliban cassettes, DVDs and magazines are available in numbers never previously seen. ... The Taliban have also begun broadcasting a pirate station called the 'Voice of Sharia' from mobile transmitters in at least two southern provinces," reports The Independent.

    Main Source: 
    The Independent (UK), June 23, 2006

    Pentagon Calls SOS for Foreign Media Work

    by Diane Farsetta — June 21, 2006 - 4:08pm

    STRATCOM, the U.S. military's Strategic Operations Command, has awarded its new contract for foreign media monitoring to SOS International. Perennial Pentagon favorite the Rendon Group formerly held the contract. SOS will track "foreign press in several languages across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Mexico with a focus on the so-called Global War on Terrorism," reports O'Dwyer's PR Daily.

    Main Source: 
    O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), June 21, 2006

    Mixing Private Security With Oil

    by Bob Burton — June 16, 2006 - 2:39am

    The private security contracting company, ArmorGroup International, has hired former Citigate Dewe Rogerson spinner Patrick Toyne-Sewell as its new communications director.

    Main Source: 
    PR Week (sub req'd), June 15, 2006

    Ashcroft To Help General Dynamics Soar

    by Diane Farsetta — June 15, 2006 - 2:15pm

    Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's lobbying firm, the Ashcroft Group, has been hired by General Dynamics to represent it on "trade and defense issues," reports O'Dwyer's PR Daily.

    Main Source: 
    O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), June 15, 2006

    Spinning to their Graves

    by Judith Siers-Poisson — June 12, 2006 - 12:28pm

     

    The three recent suicides by detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, referred to as “the gulag of our times” by Am

    Main Source: 
    Sydney Morning Herald, June 13, 2006

    Ready for Review: The Best War Ever

    by John Stauber — June 5, 2006 - 6:03pm

    Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber have finished writing The Best War Ever: Lies, Damned Lies and the Mess in Iraq. It is their sixth book together for the Center and a sequel to their 2003 bestseller Weapons of Mass Deception. If you review books or interview authors, please contact us to request a free advance review copy.

    Main Source: 
    Center for Media and Democracy, June 5, 2006

    The Best War Ever


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    Lies, Damned Lies and the Mess in Iraq

    by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber

    Pentagon Primes Propaganda Plan

    by Diane Farsetta — May 30, 2006 - 1:13pm

    The Pentagon's new "strategic communications roadmap" will soon be approved, according to U.S. News and World Report. The plan seeks to "create a culture" that sees strategic communications as "not just public affairs, information operations or psychological operations, legislative affairs or public diplomacy, but ...

    Main Source: 
    U.S. News and World Report, May 29, 2006

    The War on Terror Meets the War on Drugs

    by Diane Farsetta — May 11, 2006 - 11:58am

    Hill & Knowlton will head "a complex $3.8M PR effort" for the U.S. State Department, "targeting Afghan citizens and stakeholder groups to dissuade Afghan farmers from cultivating poppies and boosting global drug trade." Poppy production has soared since the 2001 U.S. invasion.

    Main Source: 
    O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), May 11, 2006
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