This may be old news but, is anything happening with this or is this just bullshit or both?

[lonestarnot]

I mean what are we going to do about a privately owned media? See what you think. Here's what Josh thinks:


We're seeing the first cracks in the White House's scheme to spread pro-war propaganda via corporate media. One more push will break this story wide open.

Senator McCain sits on an influential committee that could hold hearings and investigate whether this “selling of the war” violates federal law. It is crucial that your senator hears from you now.

Urge Senator McCain: Investigate the Propaganda Pundits

Last week, the New York Times exposed a shady Pentagon program to embed up to 75 "propaganda pundits" on every major news network. These so-called experts went on the air to cover up bad news about Iraq with White House spin. Many of these pundits work for private military contractors as consultants, board members and lobbyists.

Since the story broke, nearly 25,000 Free Press activists have sent letters to Congress. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.), and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) have already responded, calling for a full investigation.

We need your senator to take the next step by urging Congress to act:

Urge Senator McCain: to Expose the War Deception

By sending this letter to your senator, you're helping end years of media distortion by the White House targeted at the American public.

But the blame doesn't end with the Bush administration. Despite the Times' front-page treatment, nearly every mainstream news outlet has ignored this explosive story -- opting to sweep under the carpet a scandal that reaches deep into their own newsrooms. Fox News Channel has even continued to include the Penatagon's propaganda pundits on its newscasts (watch the video).
http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=oskthDJfc1RV-xylJ-YXjw..


The news blackout on the Pentagon propaganda highlights the failure of a consolidated media system.

The Pentagon propaganda wouldn't have spread far if not for the administration's cozy relationship with corporate media outlets like Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN. Their failure to properly question the case for war -- to counter the official version with dissenting views -- poses a fundamental threat to our democracy.

Tell Your Friends: Help Expose the Truth

Spreading "covert propaganda" is illegal under U.S. law. Senator McCain should now join colleagues on the Hill and investigate whether the Pentagon and corporate media crossed the line.

Big media and the Pentagon have a lot to answer for. It's time we learned the truth about war propaganda.

Thank you,

Josh Silver
Executive Director
Free Press Action Fund
http://www.freepress.net/

1. Over the weekend, the Pentagon blinked, temporarily suspending the propaganda program pending further review: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/26/washington/26analyst.html

2. Read Senator Levin's Letter: http://levin.senate.gov/newsroom/supporting/2008/SASC.Gates.042308.pdf

3. Read Senator Kerry's Letter: http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=296846

4. The New York Times' latest editorial on the scandal: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/26/opinion/26sat2.html

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. McCain is not going to investigate any

such thing, he has their names and home numbers in his blackberry, they are HIS people.

[lonestarnot]

3. well that is always a fookin given.

I am not encouraging anyone to contact McWar about propogating propoganda for his endless war, but everyone here already knows that except apparently you.

[sam sarrha]

2. never happen... Iran is a done deal... and they will sink every ship we have in the straights

[dmr]

4. I'm in the middle of writting a LTTE

I thank you for the added info. I'm unhappy that my newspaper has yet to mention anything about this.

In their defense, they tend to be more fair than not, and are into more local journalistic/research than national/international items. They are very good at exposing corrupt and inept local government. Time they expose this one because everyone who participated in this are complicit in so very many needless deaths and the crisis we now live.

[vickitulsa]

5. This is very important stuff, and we can't keep complaining about the corporate media

if we won't do all we can to try to force the hand of our representatives to investigate ILLEGAL pushing of propaganda. They're not going to do anything about it UNLESS we demand it, that's for sure. Maybe we can't get it done no matter how hard we try, but it's for damned sure we won't get relief or justice if we don't even let it be known that we are outraged about this wrongdoing.

And we all know how it is with SOME stories, once they are broken by persistent people who know a truth that's being covered up: All hell breaks loose, the people get angry and want to know more, and the media are embarrassed and are forced to provide some coverage. This can happen especially once the government is forced to investigate!

This instance is one that could have a lot of bearing on so many other issues, so it's one we should pay a lot of attention to, is what I believe. I well recall how the tiny trickle (at first) of news about the Watergate coverup seemed to take forever to build momentum, but once the skulduggery was outed and people realized just how badly they'd been misled about many things by that White House, the dam broke and (mixing my metaphors) shit hit the fan bigtime!

One thing to keep in mind is that rumors, scuttlebutt and speculative talk making the rounds among the common folk (and of course these days, the Internet) are VERY hard for anyone to fully control. Cats get out of bags, cows leave barns, and huge headlines can result even if the media would have preferred to let the sleeping critters lie.

ANY media outlet ought to feel compelled to provide information (and of course commentary, these days) on major news stories that are real and are being broken by others. Their very reason for existence is supposedly to provide information; and to the extent that they have covered up and hidden information, or given us outright lies and propaganda instead, they should be condemned by any other outlets who have remained clean. I happen to think it's still possible to get them to DO THEIR JOBS, because they have already seen that others will do it for them if they don't!

There are times for sarcasm and giving up in the face of obfuscation and stubborn ignorance, and there are times we can actually get what we need and deserve if we push for it. This is one of those latter times, I hope!

It COULD turn everything around, bigtime.

[KoKo]

6. K&R!

[lonestarnot]

7. kick

[lonestarnot]

8. kick

[pleah]

9. K&R

sigh