Law and the Media Media lies, war propaganda and manipulation JRN - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Law and the Media Media lies, war propaganda and manipulation JRN 6205 Media Ethics and Law By Zorana Novakovic

War by media and the triumph of propaganda (2014) Ø Article covers issues of propaganda and deception in the media Ø Focus on Iraq 2003, Russia, Ukraine as examples

Examples of misreporting, miscommunication and deception in the media 1) 2003 invasion of Iraq • Operation called: Enduring Freedom • Intention: Iraqian freedom; destroying Iraq of weapons of mass destruction (WMD); and stopping Sadam Hussein’s support for terrorism http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2017/01/iraq- deadly-deception-170108082649899.html

Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice spearheaded a media offensive with the government's WMD claims. The US media seemed to buy into it and convinced the public - the seeds of fear that had been sown months before were now ready to harvest. Al Jazeera, 27. January 2017

Why has so much journalism succumbed to propaganda? The issue and the statement: Charles Lewis admitted in 2003: “If we journalists had done our job, there is very, very good chance we would have not gone to Iraq.” Other journalists who agreed with Lewis: Dan Rather, CBS David Rose, Observer

2) March - June 1999 NATO Alliance bombed Serbia constantly for 11 weeks. • Operation called: Merciful Angel. • Intention: Humanitarian intervention, NATO operation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxDcvhH2Ypc

Photographs in war – traditional and digital image

Conclusion Ø What if journalists had done their job, had questioned and investigated the propaganda instead of amplifying it?

Thank you for watching

References: Burton, G., 2005. Media and society: critical perspectives. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Chomsky, N., 2001. What makes mainstream media mainstream. In: In: Kick, R. ed. 2001. The disinformation guide to media distortion, historical whitewashes and cultural myths. New York: The Disinformation Company LTD. Curran, J., 2002. Media and power. London and New York: Routledge. Newton, J., 2009. Photojournalism ethics: a 21 st –century primal dance of behaviour, technology and ideology. In: Wilkins, L. and Christians, C.G. eds. 2009. The handbook of mass media ethics. London and New York: Routledge. Perse, E.M., 2008. Media effects and society. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers. Pilger, J., 2014. War by media and the triumph of propaganda, [Online] Available at: <http;//johnpilger.com/articles/war-by-media-and-the-triumph-of-propaganda.[Accessed 30 January 2017]. Sanders, K., 2003. Ethics and journalism. London: Sage. https://consortiumnews.com/2014/12/07/propagandas-triumph-over-journalism/