WAR & THE MEDIA :

NewsHour, 23 Jun 08
U.S.-Funded Arab Language TV Network Under Scrutiny
'A U.S. government-funded Arab language television network, Al Hurra, has been the focus of recent criticism over both its lack of viewership and content choices. Two experts discuss how the network has fared and its ties to U.S. diplomacy efforts in the Middle East.'

Washington Post, 28 May 08, by Michael D. Shear
Ex-Press Aide Writes That Bush Misled U.S. on Iraq
'Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that the Iraq war was sold to the American people with a sophisticated "political propaganda campaign" led by President Bush and aimed at "manipulating sources of public opinion" and "downplaying the major reason for going to war."'

Washington Post, 21 May 08, by Kevin Sullivan
British Press-Freedom Case Involves Anti-Terrorism Law
'Leading British journalists argue that the rare use of the laws in this way threatens the future of investigative journalism in Britain. Police maintain that they are simply following all leads as they investigate a man who has been involved in religious extremist activities.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 May 08, by Katrin Bennhold
A feud over press freedom boils over in France
'Press freedom has long been an uneasy subject in France, a country where many newspapers rely on government subsidies and where defense contractors control large swaths of the print and broadcast media.'

Washington Post, 15 May 08, by Anthony Shadid
Field Notes: Improvised Sea Passage to Beirut, for a Price
'Colleagues like to say that logistics are no less important in journalism than actual reporting and writing. That's undoubtedly true. But more often than not, there's a jazzlike quality in getting from one place to another. Some people are lucky. I'm usually not.'

New York Times, 20 Apr 08, by David Barstow
Message Machine : Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand
'... 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.

Editor and Publisher, 20 Apr 08, by Greg Mitchell
A Guide to 'NYT' Scoop on Pentagon's Media Propaganda
'Even if it confirms what many have already sensed the details are truly damning and shocking -- more Orwell than oh, well. And it continues up to the present day, with the revelation that Gen. Petraeus met with members of this propaganda group just two weeks ago (he had met with them previously, as well).'

International Herald Tribune, 06 Apr 08, by Neil MacFarquhar
Bloggers in Iran push limits of government tolerance
'... The researchers' general conclusion was that, "despite periodic persecution," many Iranians are able to use blogs to express "viewpoints challenging the ruling ideology of the Islamic Republic." The study found, for instance, that fewer than a quarter of blogs pushing for change, including those written by expatriates, were blocked. In addition, conservatives of all stripes maintain a lively debate about Ahmadinejad.'

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