NYT: Propaganda, Military Analysts and News Manipulation Exposed

Daily Kos Staff Emeritus

Saturday April 19, 2008 · 3:11 PM PDT

2008/04/19 · 15:11

The New York Times just posted online an in-depth, incredible investigative piece that details the incestuous and appalling relationship between media "military analysts" and the Bush administration.

To the public, these men are members of a familiar fraternity, presented tens of thousands of times on television and radio as "military analysts" whose long service has equipped them to give authoritative and unfettered judgments about the most pressing issues of the post-Sept. 11 world.

Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance, an examination by The New York Times has found.

The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.

Seriously, go read this now. Yes, it's 11 pages, a lot to digest. But this is going to be talked about for days.

And the next time traditional media wonders why its marketing share is going south and its reputation sucks, just point to this article. When objectivity and facts were most needed, our vaunted "neutral" media either actively colluded or looked the other way as they spoonfed propaganda to the public. They betrayed not just their profession, but this country, in the most despicable way imaginable.

This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member.

Make YOUR voice heard!

NYT: Propaganda, Military Analysts and News Manipulation Exposed

Comments are closed on this story.