Amy Goodman and Corporate Media Propaganda

Last night, along with about 500 others, I heard Amy Goodman speak as part of her Un-Embed The Media! Tour at the Clifton Center in Louisville, Kentucky. An award-winning journalist, Amy Goodman is the host and executive producer of Democracy Now! - a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on over 300 stations in North America. I watch it on the Dish Network on the FSTV (Free Speech Television) channel along with my favorite gay lesbian community news program: Gay USA - hosted by Ann Northrop and Andy Humm.

At the Clifton Center, before she spoke, we watched an excerpt of one of her documentaries which, in response to the corporate media dominating and propagandizing our airwaves, asks the question, "How would state controlled media be any different?" Not much it turns out. Although Fox News is the worst of the bunch, MSNBC, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and even the PBS Newshour are little different in that they all pretty much serve the same few elite. Along with local television news and national talk radio, they march to the beat of corporate agendas which seek to indoctrinate conformity while demonizing dissent which conflicts with their bottom line or conservative ideologies.

One blatant example of U.S. corporate media not serving the public interest (reminiscent of the old Soviet state media) focused on the fall of Baghdad to the U.S. military - specifically the famous toppling of the statue of Saddam. CNN repeatedly, throughout that day, showed the statue falling and the exultant reactions of the people in the square. However, on CNN International (CNN's sister station broadcasting outside of the U.S.) the same scene was also shown, but alongside it - splitscreen - were images of the civilian casualties, mostly women and children, as a result of the supposedly kinder gentler 'precision' bombs dropped during Shock and Awe. On Cnn (America) you got a filtered version meant to pump up the patriotism and promote the war effort in general. On CNN International you got the full reality of that moment and part of the price that had been paid in getting there.

Remember these are both CNN channels so they knew exactly what they were doing in their editing. Aaron Brown, an anchor for CNN, later explained that the photos of casualties were considered too tasteless for airing (to americans). Tasteless?!? Where does taste come into war? Innocent women and children had been horrifically blown up or burned as part of our decision to invade a country. The news media ought to show us the full consequence of that choice. If we are for the war, we ought to expect to suffer the images of what that means and not be sheltered from its ravages.

Unfortunately, reporting on 'collateral damage' as they say doesn't serve the Pentagon's agenda and nor does it serve the agenda of the corporate media, who wished to remain in bed, I mean, embedded with them. Therefore the media treated the war like a video game or dramatic made-for-tv movie in which a 'general audience' is always kept in mind. Don't upset the children!

This is absurd, outrageous and irresponsible. A nation at war -- and especially one fought far away -- ought to bare the reality of that war, at the very least, by seeing up-close what it means for those fighting or living through it: pain, suffering, misery, gore, torture, humiliation and death. The media ought to serve the public interest by giving us the full story, the full view, the full reality. As Amy Goodman likes to say, the media ought to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. It ought to serve as a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, especially those (american and iraqi) involved in a war not of their choosing.

After 9/11, Americans quickly succumbed to war fever. I, too, found myself intoxicated with the idea of action and retribution. The patriotic fervor illicited by that statue's fall (remember the U.S. flag draped briefly over the head) and all it symbolically represented I felt. It was exactly what the Pentagon and their propaganda machine wanted. And what was the Pentagon's propaganda machine? Why the embedded U.S. coporate media of course.

It's only now, in retrospect, that I begin to understand how manipulated I was by the media and how subservient they were to the Pentagon. But of course, I was complicit in their plan to have their war by not questioning their reasons as outlined by President Bush. Fifteen of the hijackers were Saudi and here we were invading Iraq preemptively! At the time, it all made sense. I wanted a war. They gave me a war. Who we invaded was of little concern to my adrenaline-seeking, television-news-addicted, unquestioning-patriotic self. How naive I was. But it was my first real war afterall. I wasn't prepared; the Pentagon was. Next time I'll know better.

I have great sympathy and respect for those soldiers fighting, dying, losing limbs and faces, building infrastructure and training security forces in Iraq. I wish them a speedy return home and that Iraqis themselves will soon know peace and stability. I can't say 'I hope we win the war' for I no longer know what that means given the whole 'mission accomplished' fiasco. I do hope the NeoCons are swept from power and that more moderate leaders prevail in this country. Otherwise I fear more of the same as irrational ideologies direct political agendas towards foolish wars elsewhere while the corporate media lap dogs follow close behind.

Thoughtfully,
Patrick