BBC chiefs stress need to attribute war sources: Pentagon causing operational problems because of their war propaganda.
Two Israeli journalists detained by U.S. troops in Iraq
Eliminating Truth: The Development Of War Propaganda: The rules issued by the Pentagon were themselves part of a process of spin. They are presented as voluntary and appeared to some to offer ‘unprecedented freedom to report the facts’. But on closer inspection, a number of clauses buried in the text indicate the iron fist in the velvet glove. While the rules state that there is ‘no general review process’ of reports by the Pentagon, a later section notes that ‘if media are inadvertently exposed to sensitive information they should be briefed after exposure on what information they should avoid covering’. A security review also becomes compulsory if any sensitive information is released deliberately. In a classic passage attempting to present strict censorship rules as voluntary, the Pentagon notes that ‘agreement to security review is in exchange for this type of access must be strictly voluntary and if the reporter does not agree, the access may not be granted’.
This entry was posted on Saturday, March 29th, 2003 at 11:00 am and is filed under Military and defense.
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