You Won't Hear it on The News
You won't hear about this from the networks, so I'll put it here.
On Saturday, The NYT ran a lengthy story about military analysts. You know those retired military officers that are trotted out on the news to give their independent analysis of Iraq? Well it seems they are not so independent. Most are part of the Administration's message machine and have been given talking points and briefings by the Department of Defense, who described them in internal memos as "surrogates" or part of the "message force." Other analysts have ties to military contractors who have a a decided stake not only in the war proceeding, but in having it proceed in a certain way. None of these associations were disclosed by the analysts and viewers were left with the impression that the analyst was just calling them as he see's 'em.
According to the Times, the Pentagon and DOD worked carefully to prepare the analysts to deliver the Administration's message on TV and to keep the collusive arrangements secret. Make no mistake, this was not just an effort to provide independent, objective analysts with information. It was the Administration saying, ‘We need to stick our hands up your back and move your mouth for you,’said Robert S. Bevelacqua, a retired Green Beret and former Fox News analyst.
I am not so much troubled by the media's complicity with a corrupt administration. Enough ink has been spilled on the issue of the media's complete abdication of its role. What is more troubling, is that this type of misinformation campaign is just the sort of psy-op we run in foreign countries in an effort to sow the seeds of mistrust and confusion. Only now the enemy is us.
On Saturday, The NYT ran a lengthy story about military analysts. You know those retired military officers that are trotted out on the news to give their independent analysis of Iraq? Well it seems they are not so independent. Most are part of the Administration's message machine and have been given talking points and briefings by the Department of Defense, who described them in internal memos as "surrogates" or part of the "message force." Other analysts have ties to military contractors who have a a decided stake not only in the war proceeding, but in having it proceed in a certain way. None of these associations were disclosed by the analysts and viewers were left with the impression that the analyst was just calling them as he see's 'em.
According to the Times, the Pentagon and DOD worked carefully to prepare the analysts to deliver the Administration's message on TV and to keep the collusive arrangements secret. Make no mistake, this was not just an effort to provide independent, objective analysts with information. It was the Administration saying, ‘We need to stick our hands up your back and move your mouth for you,’said Robert S. Bevelacqua, a retired Green Beret and former Fox News analyst.
I am not so much troubled by the media's complicity with a corrupt administration. Enough ink has been spilled on the issue of the media's complete abdication of its role. What is more troubling, is that this type of misinformation campaign is just the sort of psy-op we run in foreign countries in an effort to sow the seeds of mistrust and confusion. Only now the enemy is us.
posted by Jack Reed at 12:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home