Posted on 12/01/2005 7:40:56 PM PST by Former Military Chick
Just what sort of democratic principles are we exporting to Iraq? The Los Angeles Times reported this week that U.S. military officials are paying Iraqi newspapers to run canned, favorable "stories" that praise the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, laud the rebuilding efforts and denounce the insurgents.
While the White House was busy distancing itself from the controversy -- "We are seeking more information from the Pentagon," said spokesman Scott McClellan -- a senior military spokesman in Baghdad struck a bit closer to the mark.
Major Gen. Rick Lynch reminded reporters that terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been told by an al-Qaida superior, "Remember, half the battle is the battlefield of the media."
Who's supposed to be teaching Iraqis journalistic ethics -- us or al-Zarqawi?
U.S. Sen. Hiram Johnson had it right in 1917: "The first casualty when war comes is truth."
Even the White House deferral to military commanders in Iraq seems disingenuous because the Times reports that the translation and placement of the stories is handled by a small Washington, D.C., firm called the Lincoln Group.
Richard Edelman, CEO of the Edelman public relations firm, rips the practice as "utterly unacceptable behavior" and told the Poynter Institute that it is "a perversion of our business, an intentional blurring of a clear demarcation between paid and earned media."
Here's a journalism lesson: If they're buying fake news, the real news must be really bad.
Nah...nothing wrong here...
In fact, I think that Ken Mehlman may have to start doing that here...all we get here is leftist propaganda, also.
And to those lost in the darkness of The FALL...TRUTH is a Light too unbearable for their sinful, depraved state of being...
If we are planting stories in the Arab press, all I can say is about time!
Instructors shipped in from the New York Times - after a brief "re-education" period in Guantanamo!
IF this is what it takes to get FACTUAL information about the good going on in Iraq, then SO BE IT!!!!!!
I'd take news from the military any day than some snivveling Seattle paper trying to suck up to the "news" (read DNC talking points) propagated by the New York Times.
Sounds like sour grapes that his side is not on his particular gravy train...
"Here's a journalism lesson: If they're buying fake news, the real news must be really bad."
Hmmm. Why would that have to be true? The democrats distribute fake news over here all the time... So perhaps it is true.
It's called trying to win the war....or psy-ops. You see, a winning strategy includes more than just shooting. If the MSM was out there covering some of the good stuff going on, instead of exposing psy-ops operations, perhaps we wouldn't need the psy-ops in the first place.
The MSM biggest fear isn't that this war is being lost and the White House isn't admitting it. Their biggest fear is that it will be won and a peaceful democracy emerges in Iraq. If this happens, the MSM will have to eat so much crow, there won't be enough ketchup to go around. If this was my fear, I'd be exposing our tactics to the enemy as best i could, too.
LOL... isn't having the US MSM lecture about journalist ethics kind of like having a crack head lecture you about having a glass of wine with diner???
Much better than having to read the America hating, race baiting, anti-military, hostile, hysterical communist bilge we are fed here.
Who the hell is this guy ? The Journalism police ?
The Editorial Board has hit a new low. They conveniently fail to mention that the stories were TRUE.
Did you notice that it wasn't reported that the stories being paid for were false. Hmmm. That is not a minor detail. Does this guy know anything about invetigative reporting? Where did this guy go to school, the Mary Mapes school of journalism?!
Igualamente, companero!
IF IT AIN'T NEGATIVE AND ANTI-AMERICAN/MILITARY, WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!
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