This troubles me, and I am offended.
I am troubled by muslims.
There. We’re even..
The paper should rename itself the St Louis Post-Dhimmicrat ...
DEL STONE: Putting lipstick on propaganda doesn’t change it
Comments 21 | Recommend 0 September 19, 2008 - 3:13PM Del Stone Jr. Daily News
Wednesday's mail brought a curious delivery, a DVD titled "Obsession: Radical Islam's War against the West."
I'd heard of the film only that afternoon. When I received my copy I became curious about its creation ... and its creators.
"Obsession" is a controversial 60-minute "documentary" that attempts to describe radical Islam's threat to the West through footage of terror attacks, clips from Arab TV and historical films of Nazi rallies. It has been shown on college campuses and on Fox News, and is now being distributed through direct mail and newspaper inserts.
"Obsession" was produced by the Clarion Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization which claims to accept no funding from the U.S. government, political institutions or foreign organizations. Clarion Fund's mission statement reads as follows:
"Our primary focus is on the most urgent threat of radical Islam. By utilizing the following three mediums, Clarion Fund is helping Americans understand that the mainstream media is (sic) not adequately conveying the reality of radical Islam: documentary film production and distribution, online education, college outreach."
Clarion Fund was founded in 2006 by Canadian filmmaker Raphael Shore, who now lives in Israel. The organization was described by a blogger on The Huffington Post as "shadowy" because it has not revealed the source of its funding. Clarion Fund Communications Director Gregory Ross said money for the distribution of "Obsession," which has run into the "millions," was collected from "private American individuals that span the political spectrum."
Some 28 million copies of "Obsession" are being sent to Americans through the mail or bundled into the inserts of 70 newspapers in "swing states," the implication being the filmmakers hope to influence the presidential elections, a charge Clarion rejects. The states include Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Florida, Wisconsin, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina and Virginia.
Newspapers in Florida carrying the DVD include the Daily Commercial, Florida Times-Union, Fort Lauderdale El Sentinel, Fort Myers News Press, Miami Herald, Ocala Star Banner, Orlando Sun Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Tampa Tribune, Tallahassee Democrat, St. Petersburg Times and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The newspapers have come under fire from critics who say the news organizations are circulating hate to earn back revenue lost in advertising declines over the past year. But a New York Times spokeswoman, questioned by journalism industry magazine Editor & Publisher, said the DVD did not violate their advertising terms of service.
Critics say Clarion is trying to skew the election to the Republicans. A group that distributed the movie at the Democratic and Republican conventions maintains a congressional "scorecard" that rates elected officials on terrorism-related issues (see watchobsession.org ). Sen. John McCain rates a 58, while Barack Obama and Joe Biden score a 25. Also, E&P reported an article on the "Obsession" Web site all but endorsed John McCain, but was taken down after questions were raised.
If you watch "Obsession," remember this: The film is propaganda, just as Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will" and Sergie Eistenstein's "Battleship Potemkin" were propaganda films. Even Frank Capra's "Why We Fight" series was described as propaganda by the U.S. Army.
Even if you agree with "Obsession," you should maintain a healthy skepticism.
Propaganda doesn't stop being propaganda just because you agree with it. "Obession" is being marketed through direct mail, newspapers, and on the film's Web site.
Daily News Online Editor Del Stone Jr. can be reached at 863-1111, Ext. 1433, or dels@nwfdailynews.com.
I have lived in STL for 10 years. I have read a collective 6 minutes of the PD in that time-way too many liberals..
This troubles me, and I am offended.
The truth “troubles” muslims.
BTW, mohammed was a pedophile.
Source? The koran.
Ahh, the Post-Disgrace, the paper even my hardcore lefty grandmother and aunt think is a big pile of crap.
I subscribed for about 20 years and then finally had enough and cancelled about 3 years ago.
A couple of days later, someone from the PD called me and asked me why I had cancelled?
I told her that I was a conservative...
She said "Oh, Ok" like she had heard it a thousand times...cracked me up.
If I remember, when Bill O’Reilly last spoke in St. Louis he said it was a “no-spin city” - except for that newspaper.
Rate the article at the site.
I got mine!