War / Peace

Pentagon Repeats Quote In Separate Car Bombing Statements

by Laura Miller — July 25, 2005 - 5:06pm

Following a July 24 car bombing in Baghdad that killed 25 people and wounded 33 others, the Pentagon issued a press release with a "quotation attributed to an unidentified Iraqi that was virtually identical to a quote reacting to an attack on July 13," CNN reports.
"After questioning by news media, the military released the statement without the quotation." An army spokesman said the use of the nearly identical quote was an "administrative error" and that the military was looking into the matter.

Main Source:

CNN.com, July 24, 2005

Iraqis Don't Count

by Sheldon Rampton — July 24, 2005 - 3:10pm

War / Peace

Judith Coburn has written a thoughtful, detailed report on one of the most glaring journalistic failures in Iraq. "Publishing or pronouncing the names of the American dead everyday without ever mentioning the names of the Iraqi dead offers a powerful message that only American dying matters," she writes. "But there's no way to count, protest American journalists. What they mean is that the Pentagon doesn't count for them. ...

Main Source:

Tom Dispatch, July 17, 2005

Burson-Marseller's BKSH Gets Piece of Pentagon Psyops Pie

by Laura Miller — July 22, 2005 - 5:52pm

"Burson-Marsteller's BKSH & Assocs., has been hired by The Lincoln Group, one of three firms selected last month by the U.S. Special Operations Command to wage psychological warfare on behalf of the Pentagon in Iraq and other hot spots," O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports.

Main Source:

O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), July 22, 2005

Military Recruiters Use Market Research To Fill Boots

by Laura Miller — July 21, 2005 - 8:15pm

"As the Army struggles to fill boots, the Pentagon is slicing and dicing data from enlistees and the U.S. Census to sharpen direct-marketing efforts for all the armed services," Advertising Age writes in an article offering insight on how "to get a piece of the $200 million U.S.

Main Source:

Advertising Age, July 11, 2005

Perception of Success Determines Public Support for War

by Laura Miller — June 29, 2005 - 11:02pm

George W. Bush's Tuesday night national address reflected "a purposeful strategy based on extensive study of public opinion about how to maintain support for a costly and problem-plagued military mission," the Washington Post's Peter Baker and Dan Balz write. The White House consulted the work of Duke University political scientists Peter D. Feaver and Christopher F.

Main Source:

Washington Post, June 30, 2005

Attack of the Killer Pork Chops

by Diane Farsetta — June 22, 2005 - 5:08pm

"To mark the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day," London's National Archives launched an online exhibit of "250 images created for Britain's Ministry of Information during the Second World War - images intended to 'inform and inspire' the nation, as well as influence overseas opinions." The Art of War exhibit's propaganda section "breaks its material into 'Home Front' (featuring such themes as warnings against 'careless talk'), 'Alli

Main Source:

Christian Science Monitor, June 21, 2005

Propaganda's War on Human Rights

by Sheldon Rampton — June 21, 2005 - 2:52pm

British public relations consultant Liz Harrop, who specializes in "public awareness activity for human rights campaigning organisations and humanitarian projects," has written a report that analyzes the relationship between war propaganda and human rights, focusing on the U.S. and British governments in relation to the Iraqi rabbit hole.

Main Source:

Tiger Tail Communications

My Country Was Invaded and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt

by Diane Farsetta — June 14, 2005 - 12:55pm

"The U.S. Special Operations Command has hired three firms to produce newspaper stories, television broadcasts and Web sites to spread American propaganda overseas." The contract may run $100 million over the next five years. The work was likely outsourced because there are "only one active-duty and two reserve psyops units remaining" in the U.S.

Main Source:

Media General News Service, June 10, 2005

Terror Errors

by Diane Farsetta — June 13, 2005 - 4:12pm

Last week, President Bush said, "Federal terrorism investigations have resulted in charges against more than 400 suspects, and more than half of those charged have been convicted." But independent analyses contradict those numbers.

Main Source:

Washington Post, June 12, 2005