Page 87 - Mass Media, Mass Propoganda Examining American News in the War on Terror

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The Media's War

In Iraq, a dictator is building and hiding weapons that could enable him to
dominate the Middle East and intimidate the civilized world, and we will not
allow it. . . . The danger posed by Saddam Hussein and his weapons cannot be
ignored or wished away. The danger must be confronted. . . the current Iraqi
regime has shown the power of tyranny to spread discord and violence in the
Middle East. A liberated Iraa can show the ~ower of freedom to transform that
vital region, by bringing hope and progress into the lives of millions.
-President George W. Bush
February 26,2003

Saddam Hussein has threatened his neighbors and the U.S. with war and weap-
ons of mass destruction for two decades. . . the war that has now begun stands
to end the single greatest threat to peace in the Middle East; it will help estab-
lish that rogue states will not be allowed to stockpile chemical, biological, or
nuclear weapons in defiance of the international community. It will also free
the long-suffering Iraqi people, who have endured one of the cruelest and most
murderous dictatorships in the past half-century.
-Washington Post Editorial
March 20,2003

Rather than playing a critical role in questioning American engagement in for-
eign wars, the mass media has traditionally promoted an image of the U.S. as
committed to promoting democracy and human rights. While the promotion of
pro-war views is not a problem in-and-of-itself, the systematic denial of alter-
ative interpretations for American motives does constitute a serious impediment
to efforts at achieving more balanced reporting and informed public debate.
Chris Hedges, veteran war reporter for the New York Times, maintains that, "In
wartime the press is always part of the problem. . . when the nation goes to war,
the press goes to war with it. The blather on CATV or Fox or MSNBC is