From: Arlo J. Bensinger (ajb102@psu.edu)
Date: Sun Feb 06 2005 - 18:08:11 GMT
All,
I don't know if its Karma or just coincidence, but the number of critical media
articles seems to be increasing as of late. Today on Wired.com there is:
http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,66520,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_3
"All the News That's Fit to Buy"
A story about Pentagon involvement in running several news sites "to counter
international propaganda" by running pro US government and military articles
aimed at swaying public opinion in the Balkans and North Africa.
"The Balkans website, called Southeast European Times, as well as a second aimed
at audiences in north Africa, have no immediately obvious connection to the
U.S. government but contain a linked disclaimer that says they are "sponsored
by the U.S. European Command." That is the military organization based in
Germany responsible for U.S. forces and military activities in Europe and parts
of Africa."
This on top of the already documented use of paid-journalists by the Bush
administration to do advertising for its agenda under the guise of media
reporting. (If this was Clinton doing this-- watch out!!!)
I think critical examinations of the role of the media, its relation to
preserving power structures, and the ramifications of continued fracturing of
media channels, is becoming an increasingly more vital topic to bring to the
national discourse. It seems to me (although I may be naive) that the power of
the media as a maninpulative-agent of the system is diminished when this role
is made transparent.
I've not read Chomsky's work on the media, but I think I will this week.
Arlo
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