Mass Media, Mass Propaganda: Understanding the News in the 'War on Terror'

This work examines how the mainstream American media reacts to pro-war and anti-war themes throughout the \_War on Terror\_ in regards to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Using a political economy approach, the author addresses the ways in which corporations that own media reinforce official doctrines and propaganda by contrasting the content of American media to that of other global media.

Mass Media, Mass Propaganda analyzes a wide range of issues, domestic and international, concerning American and global news coverage of the U.S. "War on Terror." Topics reviewed include: media coverage of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Iraqi civil war and resistance to occupation, September 11th and "Operation Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan, human rights violations in Iraqm domestic anti-way dissent and censorship, and potential future targets in the "War on Terror." This work approaches the study of media through a political economy analysis, examining the ways in which the American corporate media works to reinforce official views and propaganda, and the ways in which it challenges official pro-war platforms. A comparative approach is taken in contrasting the American mass media with other media institutions from the Progressive-Left American press, the British and Australian press, and Arab electronic media. Major models analyzed and evaluated throughout this work include the "Propaganda Model," developed by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman, and the "Indexing Model," elaborated upon by scholars such as W. Lance Bennett, Steven Livingston, and Jonathan Mermin.

"Mass Media, Mass Propaganda analyzes a wide range of issues, domestic and international, concerning American and global news coverage of the U.S. "War on Terror." Topics reviewed include media coverage of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Iraqi civil war and resistance to occupation, September 11th and "Operation Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan, human rights violations in Iraq, domestic anti-war dissent and censorship, and potential future targets in the "War on Terror."" "This work approaches the study of media through a political economy analysis, examining the ways in which the American corporate media work to reinforce official views and propaganda, and the ways in which it challenges official pro-war platforms. A comparative approach is taken in contrasting the American mass media with other media institutions from the Progressive-Left American press, the British and Australian press, and Arab electronic media."--Jacket Contents......Page 9 Introduction: Understanding the News in the "War on Terror"......Page 11 1 Public Trust, Media, and the "War on Terrorss"......Page 17 2 All the News That's Fit to Omit: A Background to Pro-War Media......Page 49 3 Weapons of Mass Diversion......Page 67 4 The Media's War......Page 87 5 Railing Iraqi Resistance: "Insurgency," Militias, and the Unfolding Civil War......Page 111 6 Free Speech Fatalities......Page 145 7 A World of Orwellian Doublethink......Page 169 8 Doctrines of Media and State: Hailing Humanitarianism, Dismissing Disaster......Page 189 9 Catapult the Media......Page 227 10 Afghanistan and 9/11: The "War on Terror" Declared......Page 263 11 A Game Plan for Infinite War?......Page 289 Conclusion: Progressive Media Reform: A Movement for the 21st Century......Page 317 Bibliography......Page 331 Index......Page 335 About the Author......Page 341 Public trust, media, and the "war on terror" All the news that's fit to omit : a background to pro-war media Weapons of mass diversion / Anthony DiMaggio and Paul Fasse The media's war Railing Iraqi resistance : "insurgency," militias, and the unfolding civil war Free speech fatalities A world of Orwellian doublethink Doctrines of media and state : hailing humanitarianism, dismissing disaster Catapult the media Afghanistan and 9/11: the "war on terror" declared A game plan for infinite war? Conclusion: A movement for progressive media reform. Examines the participation of pro-war, mass-media corporations in creating and selling the Iraq War and the War on Terrorism to a frightened American public.