MyFox
 

ThinkTanked's Blog

by ThinkTanked from Citrus Springs

Last Post 226 days, 7 hours Ago


Free Press Calls for Congressional Investigation into Pentagon Pundits
Apr 21, 2008 | 6:08 PM
Category: Political
Report This Post

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: April 21, 2008

Contact: Jen Howard, Free Press, (202) 265-1490, x22

WASHINGTON -- Yesterday, the New York Times exposed a secret Pentagon effort to spread favorable views of the war by recruiting and planting military analysts in the nation's news media. These pundits became fixtures of war coverage on most major network, cable, radio and print news outlets without disclosing their considerable conflicts of interest in their own work as consultants, lobbyists and contractors for military interests.

Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver issued the following statement:

"Government-sanctioned propaganda violates every conceivable standard of journalism. That it has been allowed to continue unquestioned and undisclosed for years is an indictment of both this White House and a docile American media. An administration secretly using the press to force a pro-war agenda on the public is not a partisan issue. Free Press is calling on Congress to investigate the military pundits and their ties to the Bush administration, defense contractors and our national news media. It's time the truth about the selling of this war came out."

###

Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications. Learn more at www.freepress.net




24 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 24
Page 1 of 2
1
2
 Last
Abunai read my blog view my photos
Apr 21, 2008 | 6:42 PM

LOL! About time! Of course I didn't see very many folks get upset when media was plastering anti-American propaganda from fake Koran abuse stories from Newsweek, to reporting around the world that we had lost the war as spoken from our Senate Majority leader, or Murtha selling out the Marines, or Kerry with his nite time raid antics... The NYTimes leaking of intel collection processes, or the leak of covert CIA operatives in several locations overseas...

I think its about time the DoD came out and DID THE MEDIA'S JOB!!! So long as the material they report on is factual and the truth, whats the problem? Roosevelt sensored the media during WWII and ran his own tape and nobody complained. Bush never squashed the right to free press, all he is doing is adding to it what the media has neglected to report!

I challenge anyone on the left to actually make a fuss over it! Especially during an election year! They can't because it will put more light on the positive material that will show the successes of our efforts that to this point the media agenda refuses to report!

Go ahead... make a big fuss... I dare ya!
zbert read my blog
Apr 22, 2008 | 6:22 AM

One of the intents of the First Ammendment was to keep the media and government separate. The Founders wanted the media to be watchdogs for the people.
If the government does the media's job, then what they report will not be factual or the truth.
The government has censored the media in the past and there were complaints.
The government has released false information by their own admission. Why should they be trusted?
Anyone who will allow the government to control the media is a big-government liberal socialist.
The only thing worse is someone who believes the government should do the media's job. That would be Fascism.
Abunai read my blog view my photos
Apr 22, 2008 | 7:30 AM

I submit that the media has censored news in the past, released false information as well. So long as the govt. is simply ADDING to the existing free media and not censoring them, then nobody's free speach is harmed. Now if the "free press" is intimidated by it, that would be their own problem.

Lets just call this as it REALLY is shall we:

Its election time, and the media is simply unable as in the past to have the monopoly on factual information being released to the public. Ever since last year when we tossed out the old Pentagon and Generals and replaced them and Iraq has turned around, the media has stopped reporting on Iraq. The bias of the media can't hold back the truth anymore and so the military is simply ADDING everything the media refuses to report. Any information that is incorrect or false the mainstream media is free to report that. THAT is where it stings!! The media knows there won't be, and will have to prove it otherwise. IOWs, the days of media propaganda are OVER!!

I seem to recall a left wing and liberal climate that DEMANDED the truth! Well be careful what you ask for.... you're gonna get plenty of it now!
zbert read my blog
Apr 22, 2008 | 8:25 AM

Anytime the government adds, or whatever you want to call it, to the free media, they take control of the media.
Yes, the media can challenge what the government puts out, but if the government is controling the sources, there is not much chance of that happening.
That is what is happening now. Only government approved reporters are allowed into press meetings. If a reporter finds information that challenges the government story, he is attacked and he is jailed until he reveals his sources. Then his sources are punished. That is not a free press.
The Pentagon started the embedded reporter program. Many reporters who did that and left the program said they were pressured into reporting the news favorable to the Pentagon. There were comments about being left on the battlefield. That is not free press.
zbert read my blog
Apr 22, 2008 | 8:36 AM

None of the MSM speak up against the invasion of Iraq. They don't say much about it at all except information vetted by the government.
Reporters who have spoken up have been kidnapped or killed, at least one by US troops.
One reporter who dared to fairly cover the invasion was just recently released from a US prison 2 years after he was cleared of all charges. Does that sound like unbiased government reporting?
Abunai read my blog view my photos
Apr 22, 2008 | 10:00 AM

"Anytime the government adds, or whatever you want to call it, to the free media, they take control of the media."

WRONG.... If that was true than the founders would have held the press accountable for the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth in free press.

The reporter you speak of was found to be working with the enemy, if I have the right one here... zbert maybe you better link a story or source to that then.

I remember when a platoon of seals on a real world operation inserted into a position and when they came out of the water and onto the beach, reporters with cameras and lights rushed them! Free press comes with responsibility and judgement. When that is thrown away in the name of bias or sensationalism, then you are risking lives.

Libs here are going to try to skirt around this issue, but your "interpritation" of freedom of press ain't makin it. Its just simple... Pentagon gave the media every chance to report accurately and fairly, and the media chose not to, so they simply are putting it before a forum on their own. Nothing wrong with that other than it exposes the mainstream media's agenda over truth policy.
ThinkTanked read my blog view my photos
Apr 22, 2008 | 10:15 AM

It seems bloggers are held to more standards than the media. I often hear others demanding sources from others, however nobody cares to demand sources from our television media. Quite often recently I have seen television and newspaper media refer to "anonymous diplomats" as their news sources and the public eats it up.
Abunai read my blog view my photos
Apr 22, 2008 | 10:58 AM

Well because bloggers typically don't answer to anything but their own ethical practices, we can call someone out or toss political correctness out the window. Remember it was bloggers that caught CBS in RatherGate because the dared to question face value....

anonymous diplomats? Not sure what you are refering to. Just like some bloggers can delete entire topics when the facts pour in and rebut their topic. (like vaccines and mercury for example...) I realize some need a place to vent their frustrations, but do it in a fashion that speaks to factual evidence and truth.
ThinkTanked read my blog view my photos
Apr 22, 2008 | 12:59 PM

Hmm that vaccine blog wasn't mine.. did it get deleted? I still stand firm that my daughters "Autism" was directly related to the 1st year MMR vaccine she received.

But lets not get off topic... I will post a topic on Autism and you can post your factual evidence on what you believe is the cause of Autism there.
Abunai read my blog view my photos
Apr 22, 2008 | 1:28 PM

Fair enough...

Lets see if you can bring forth a topic in its entire balance of facts...
FlaNative read my blog view my photos
Apr 22, 2008 | 3:52 PM

NY TIMES????????????????????????

ROFLMAO
Specter read my blog
Apr 23, 2008 | 3:58 AM

NY TIMES and the Party of Surrender once again exposing secrets ehh. Who let this one out, Levin or Rockerfeller?? I garantee you it was one of the two, and has been every time since this war began.

Here's a little fact for your thinktank to ponder, AQ has chosen to fight this war using the media and propoganda.

Should we sit around and do nothing? Once again focus on almost losing in Iraq in 2004-2006 while were in the process (2008) of winning.

FreePress my ass, who funds them? Would you care to dig that up and include it in your blog? Another Soros agent is what I see in the link. More subversion from within.

Reform through education should alarm folks, that's a hidden in plain sight confesion to indoctrinating people. Only an idiot would attach themselves to that.

I know I'm not the only one who views the words of non-partisan and media as oil and water. They don't mix unless manufactured to do so.
Abunai read my blog view my photos
Apr 23, 2008 | 5:38 AM

The fact is that the left knows that come General Election time, the war and McCain will be a strong hold. The left will try to associate him as "Bush's 3rd term" yet that will die if Hillary is the one and we ask the nation if they would rather have a "Bush or Clinton 3rd term.... Then that will roll into decades of left wing defeatism and lack of support for defense.

The war's success is going unreported by the media's choice, and they are simply trying to protect their interests for when they are exposed for their bias and agenda. Like it or not.. Mainstream media is going on trial, and they don't have the power to stop it like the previous 60 years or so..
zbert read my blog
Apr 23, 2008 | 11:31 PM

Abunai, you keep defending your big, out of control government. You defend the imprisonment of a reporter after the courts said there was no case and demanded his release.

How can anybody be more of a leftist than you? By your own words you are a socialist. You should know exactly what the left knows since it is what you believe.

The Founders did not want the government to interfere with the media.
zbert read my blog
Apr 23, 2008 | 11:41 PM

"I remember when a platoon of seals on a real world operation inserted into a position and when they came out of the water and onto the beach, reporters with cameras and lights rushed them! "

I remember hearing about that, too. Another case of government risking the lives of our brave troops for nothing. Why were they covertly invading a beach safe enough for reporters to be standing on with lights? It sounds like a hoax.
Page 1 of 2
1
2
 Last


Write your comment below:




ThinkTanked

That about sums it up.

Member Since: 9/7/2007


 

View All Photos


RSS: XMLWhat is RSS?