American Pravda

By Ron Beasley

In the old Soviet Union (and perhaps the new Russia) the people used to joke that there was no truth in Pravda (Russian: Правда, "The Truth").  We have all known that the media and the cable/network news were little more than a propaganda organ for the Bush/Cheney administration but until the New York Times exposed the role the generals  we had no idea how much like propaganda it was.  Glenn Greenwald has covered it but that's his job.  But even Politico has noticed a deafening silence on analyst story.

Even with countless media outlets available these days, a Sunday New York Times cover story could always be counted on to send a jolt through the television news cycle.   

But apparently that’s no longer the case. Indeed, reporter David Barstow’s 7,600-word investigation of the Pentagon’s military analyst program — whereby ex-military talking heads, often with direct ties to contractors, parroted Defense Department talking points on the air — has been noticeably absent from television airwaves since the story broke on April 20. 

While bloggers have kept the story simmering, Democratic congressional leaders also are speaking out, calling for investigations that could provoke the networks to finally cover the Times story — and, in effect, themselves.

But as Politico reports they may have talk about it soon - it was possibly illegal and it's being investigated.

On Tuesday, Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin “urging an investigation of the Pentagon’s propaganda program” to determine if the networks or analysts violated federal law.

FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps, a Democrat, applauded their efforts. “President Eisenhower warned against the excesses of a military-industrial complex,” Copps said in a statement. “I’d like to think that hasn’t morphed into a military-industrial-media complex, but reports of spinning the news through a program of favored insiders don’t inspire a lot of confidence.”

DeLauro said by phone that the Pentagon’s program was “created in order to give military analysts access in exchange for positive coverage of the Iraq war.” 

The FCC request follows DeLauro’s April 24 letters to five of the most powerful network executives: NBC News President Steve Capus, ABC News President David Westin, CBS News President Sean McManus, FOX News chief executive Roger Ailes and CNN News Group President Jim Walton.

If this isn't propaganda  I don't know what is. "DeLauro said by phone that the Pentagon’s program was “created in order to give military analysts access in exchange for positive coverage of the Iraq war.”  If it is shown the networks were part of illegal propaganda perhaps they will think twice about doing it again.  But then again probably not.  Nothing brings in viewers like a war and wars are very profitable for corporate America.