No Breach Seen in Work in Iraq on Propaganda

NY Times ^ | March 22, 2006 | THOM SHANKER

[neverdem]

WASHINGTON, March 21 — An inquiry has found that an American public relations firm did not violate military policy by paying Iraqi news outlets to print positive articles, military officials said Tuesday. The finding leaves to the Defense Department the decision on whether new rules are needed to govern such activities.

The inquiry, which has not yet been made public, was ordered by Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the senior American commander in Iraq, after it was disclosed in November that the military had used the Lincoln Group, a Washington-based public relations company, to plant articles written by American troops in Iraqi newspapers while hiding the source of the articles.

The final report was described by officials in Washington and Iraq who have read or been briefed on it and were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it.

Pentagon officials said Tuesday that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was considering new policies for regional commanders to clarify existing doctrine and rules on military communications and information operations.

[neverdem]

After disclosure of the secret effort to plant articles, angry members of Congress summoned Pentagon officials to a closed-door session to explain the program, saying it was not in keeping with democratic principles, and even White House officials voiced deep concern.

After the MSM churns out agitprop on a par with Joseph Goebbels and Sergei Eisenstein, what a hoot! I'm surprised the Times put this above the fold on the frontpage of its national edition.

[mewzilla]

Why is the truth propaganda?

And if honest reporting can be considered propaganda, what do we make of stories like CBS's Memogate?

[massgopguy]

Yesterday DU was awash with threads about an alleged incedent in Iraq where Marines went into houses and shot 15 people in two families including the children after an IED went off. It is NOWHERE to be found today. You don't suppose that DUrs are so "supportive of the troops" that they would run with a rumor designed to make Marines "baby killers" do you?

[Red6]

Opening line used the word "Propaganda".

That's an emotionally ladden word. Opening line the author in this NYT's story tells us about the "Propaganda" he's trying to push.

[Mo1]

Why is the truth propaganda?

Because the left says so?

[mewzilla]

Because the left says so?

Heh heh. Not anymore :)

[dead]

Why is the truth propaganda?

I don't even care if its true. If the military commanders in a foreign war zone think it will help the military effort, liberals in America can suck a monkey.

[roses of sharon]

This was exposed by the left in order to put an end to it, and to foster suspicion by Iraqis towards our soldiers.

Another effort by the MSM to smear the United States of America.

Bastards.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Why is the truth propaganda?

Half of the truth certainly can be. And since nobody prints absolutely all of the truth - no editor even knows all of the truth - all speech and print should be suspected of containing propaganda. Including, sometimes, the dictionary.

And certainly including the news reports which, we are solemnly assured by journalists, are "objective." The First Amendment does not say that journalism is objective; it says that it doesn't have to be objective because judging that isn't the government's job. Conversely journalism's judgement of the truthfulness of government officers is not dispositive either. The only way to unseat a president, for example, is impeachment or expiration of his term of office.

Why Broadcast Journalism is
Unnecessary and Illegitimate

[E.G.C.]

Media bias bump.

[mewzilla]

I don't even care if its true.

But it was. Which to my mind makes it completely unobjectionable. And ought to make folks wonder why we have to pay to see it in print.

[Peter Libra]

I am somewhat late here but I would like to draw attention to a particularly fine rebuttal to the media. I caught "Anderson Cooper 360" at about 1120pm EST. He had on two, no doubt, intrepid reporters in Baghdad. They were Michael Ware (Time Magazine) and Nic Robertson (CNN). Cooper also had on Hugh Hewitt(Conservative commentator).

Mr Hewitt politely acknowledged the risk taking by both reporters. Then he got down to business. He said the terrorists were "playing the media like Stradivarius fiddle". I think I got that quote pretty close.

Later he accused the media of costing hundreds of American lives. He,Hewitt of course must of needs be concise and polite. Very effective indeed.

The indignant outrage of the press, on the so-called "propaganda" smacks of, ah yes, a word now almost fading into disuse.

Cant.

I was able to use Drudge to find the CNN transcripts in his left hand column.

[Peter Libra]

Correction to self: "Insurgents playing the media like a bongo drum".

Hugh Hewitt.

Mild slap on wrist for self.

[T Lady]

Thanks for the Ping.


...Yet another reason I refuse to read the New York Times.

[Fintan]

THOM SHANKER
 

 

Perfect name for the NY Times.