Larisa Alexandrovna: "Propaganda Extravaganza" (Critiquing the WH Iran Briefing)

[Hissyspit]

http://www.atlargely.com/2007/02/propaganda_extr.html

Propaganda Extravaganza

So I have spent a good deal of this evening reading the accounts of the "highly" secretive, "ultra-classified" and "on monumental background" Iran briefing that the White House orchestrated today, just in time for Monday's breaking news. What is quite clear is that US corporate press has become an extension of the White House public relations department. Under what circumstances would the following criteria for a news story ever be considered "journalism:"

1). Reporters met with experts and analysts who would not provide their names, background, or any identifying information - even off the record. There is no way to know who these unnamed experts were, what made them experts, or anything that could be used to confirm or debunk their allegations. In other words, the sources were not vetted and unknown.

2). The allegations that Iran was responsible for the downing of US helicopter in Iraq by using advanced weapons were based on a set of photographs of unknown origin, date, time, or any other contextual information that could be confirmed or debunked. In other words, the facts of the story are unsupportable and cannot be in any way explored.

- snip -

I am really ashamed at the way my colleagues have presented themselves today. There are, however, a few exceptions... some who did show up, at least covered the farce as it should have been covered, with subtle "I call bullshit":

LA Times made this observation:

"The briefing seemed deliberately limited. The officials appeared to back away from previous U.S. claims that Iran, a mostly Shiite country, was supporting the Sunni Arab insurgents who have by far killed the largest number of U.S. troops.

MORE AT LINK

[Hissyspit]

1. kick

[SalmonChantedEvening]

2. The Boy who cried Blitzer.n/t

[mmonk]

5. .

[5X]

3. K and R. n/t

[leftchick]

4. I watched Lara Logan and Michael Ware this morning

both giving uncritical reports about the Iran briefing. Neither questioned the "official" story at all. Shameful.

[Bozita]

13. Both sounded like true believers

Maybe they remembered what happened to Phil Donohue and Peter Arnett during the run-up to a war.

[SpiralHawk]

6. "Don't disturb us. We have assumed the position." - Corporate media toadies

[bigtree]

7. kick

[Hissyspit]

8. .

[spanone]

9. A sham. Propaganda disguised as 'news'. The press should have refused to participate.

[Roy Eidelson]

14. Catapult the Propaganda

As administration reports about Iran emerge, it is worth remembering this statement from President Bush in May of 2005 while speaking (about social security) to a group in New York:

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/2005052... )

[doublethink]

10. Yep.

:kick:

[KoKo]

11. Kick.....Same old script and same old lack of scepticism from

what I've seen unless one goes to the Liberal Web Site. No accountability from MSM...unamed officials...same as before....plant the seed and let the Right Wing run with it in the vast echo chamber.

[dogday]

12. K&R