Disinformation and media propaganda

[lost&outofcontrol]

In this thread I will post examples of the media's mistakes, censoring or just plain propaganda. I encourage everyone to add to this thread their own examples. What I'd like people to get from this thread is the power of the media on manipulating its viewers opinions.

First example: London subway bombing.

London Bombers Tied to Al-Qaeda Plot in Pakistan ABC News jumping the gun.

It was Al-Qaeda Blair said, "Al-Qaeda is not an organization. Al-Qaeda is a way of working ... but this has the hallmark of that approach." Fox News

When in fact there are no links to Al-Qaeda

Second: Madrid bombing

Al-Quaeda link It's the jump to conclusion game.

Alleged connections to Al-Qaeda

Man accused of being the Al-Qaeda terror network

Again, the media jumped the gun and no link was found.

Planting of News Stories in Iraqi Press

Fake TV News, Video news releases and corporate propaganda made to look like genuine news.

Office of Strategic Influence(OSI) which really is the office of propaganda.

White House Plays Down Propaganda by Military- Have to login or just install the BugMeNot FireFox extension

Pentagon Debates Propaganda Push in Allied Nations - same as above

Censoring

The US military use of white phosphorus shells during the battle of Fallujah. Link

How to Destroy a City to Save It

U.S. uses napalm gas in Fallujah

[geoffrey]

The OSI was closed long ago, February 2002.

I also object to the media portraying Iraqi's and Afghani's up in arms killing each other saying the country hates democracy even though they have higher voter turn out than Canada does.

The media doesn't fairly portray the issues anymore, if they ever did. It's all opinion, equally skewed from both sides. No matter what news you watch, read or listen to, it has massive bias, always. Whether you think Fox or CNN or wacko-independant news from the internet is accurate, your horribly mistaken.

People need to start looking at stories only for facts and not opinion. There isn't alot there.

I'd much prefer my news in a nice bulleted list of facts and let me decide if things are 'horrific', 'out of control' or 'getting better'. I don't trust any journalist to evaluate situations and tell me whats happening and how I should think. I normally view them as of sub-par intelligence, why would I take their opinions seriously?

[cybercoma]

I laugh anytime someone says they hate freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. All one has to do is ask the question, "would canadians be willing to go to the polls over the threat of death and torture?"

Almost 40% of Canadians don't go to the polls now because it's an "inconvenience." How inconvenient would it be for voters then if mortar rounds were going off while they're in line?

How anyone can say we should pull out of those nations because those people hate freedom is beyond me.

[lost&outofcontrol]

The OSI was closed long ago, February 2002.

It may of been officially closed but it's policies are still in effect as stated in the articles I posted.

[geoffrey]

The OSI was closed long ago, February 2002.

It may of been officially closed but it's policies are still in effect as stated in the articles I posted.

Psychological warfare is a completely accepted military practice that has been in existence since ancient times.

I have no problem using lies to scare the enemy.

[lost&outofcontrol]

The OSI was closed long ago, February 2002.

It may of been officially closed but it's policies are still in effect as stated in the articles I posted.

Psychological warfare is a completely accepted military practice that has been in existence since ancient times.

I have no problem using lies to scare the enemy.

What about domestic propaganda?

[geoffrey]

Governments always have used domestic propaganda.

Think of some recent examples:

- We didn't fire Dingwall! He resigned!

- The gun registry will prevent crimes in Canada!

- Tamil Tigers are not terrorists, they are a humanitarian group!

All lies from the government, it's a constant thing that people do naturally for personal gain. People need to just have the critical thinking skills to call BS on it all the time.

Eliminating all 'propaganda' from a govenrment is impossible. Giving the impression that all propaganda is gone, is even a more dangerous endeavour.

[PocketRocket]

Governments always have used domestic propaganda.

Think of some recent examples:

"Iraq is an imminent threat."

"The war in Iraq is over."

"I didn't inhale."

"We will scrap the GST."

"Saddam has weapons of mass-destruction."

You're right. They're everywhere.

[geoffrey]

Governments always have used domestic propaganda.

Think of some recent examples:

"Iraq is an imminent threat."

"The war in Iraq is over."

"I didn't inhale."

"We will scrap the GST."

"Saddam has weapons of mass-destruction."

You're right. They're everywhere.

Agreed. You won't call me on any partisanship because I dislike all parties equally when it comes to BS, conservative, republican, democrat, liberal... all the same, all full of crap... I just vote to whoever will benefit me personally.

Anyone that actually trusts a government is naive, and these people are in big danger of being taken advantage of. Like the Liberals did in Canada for 12 years.

[lost&outofcontrol]

A great explanation of the media's twisting logic syndrome.

[geoffrey]

It happens equally from both sides of the media l&ooc.

[lost&outofcontrol]

It happens equally from both sides of the media l&ooc.

I know, that's why I said in my first post:

I encourage everyone to add to this thread their own examples.

Are you defending media propaganda by saying it happens on both sides so it's ok?

[geoffrey]

It's ok. I don't care what people say, thats their choice. The media has free speech too.

Turn it off if you don't like it.

[PolyNewbie]

The media has free speech too.

What media has free speech ????

[geoffrey]

The media has free speech too.

What media has free speech ????

Uhhhh... what?

[lost&outofcontrol]

The media's manipulation of people's precerption of world leaders.

[lost&outofcontrol]

Pentagon urges China to explain military buildup

No mention is given to the fact that the US has 8 times the millitary budget that China has and has been incresing its own budget by 15% every year.

[lost&outofcontrol]

Median censorship and outright lies in the palestinian/Israel "conflict".

[GostHacked]

It's ok. I don't care what people say, thats their choice. The media has free speech too.

Turn it off if you don't like it.

The media has free speech? You mean whatever the CEO of the network says is free speech? Or better yet, how many advertising dollars will get you 'free speech' ?? MSM is just plain shill for the corporations.

Lost&outofcontrol - I agree with you and I see what you are talking about in he media every day. It is sick how much you can see of it out there.

[lost&outofcontrol]

The media has free speech? You mean whatever the CEO of the network says is free speech? Or better yet, how many advertising dollars will get you 'free speech' ?? MSM is just plain shill for the corporations.

Exactly !

"one of the greatest myths of the industry: that journalists are essential to producing a newspaper."

Corad Black

"I have a right to support whoever I want to support, or not support."

Asper (CanWest Media)

"In all our newspapers, including the National Post, we have a very pro-Israel position."

Asper (CanWest Media)

[Argus]

Pentagon urges China to explain military buildup

No mention is given to the fact that the US has 8 times the millitary budget that China has and has been incresing its own budget by 15% every year.

They are hardly comparable. Most of the US defence budget goes to very high salaries and benefits for its military and civilian workers. China's soldiers are paid peanuts by comparison. Most of China's budget increases are going to bigger and better weapons, in particular, better nukes and missiles, better bombers, better long range naval vessels. The US faces many threats around the world. China faces none. It thus seems perculiar that while some Chinese still aren't getting enough to eat the Chinese military is getting huge annual salary increases.

[August1991]

GH and LO&C, all of your examples about media bias involve arcane politics in foreign countries. Your argument consists in saying that the media misleads Canadians (Westerners?) about subjects Canadians don't care about. It would be similar if I argued that the MSM misinforms Canadians about astronomy because of daily columns of zodiacs and horoscopes.

I happen to think Canadians take the trouble to be well-informed about subjects that matter to them and for which information will help them make an important (for them) decision.

Venezuela, China, Israel and the Pentagon may be important to you but the vast majority of Canadians don't care about these topics, wisely knowing that such information is useless in their daily lives.

Now then, if you have evidence that MSM reports are blatantly biased in favour of Japanese cars over American cars, then I think you might have a case for disinformation and media propaganda.

IOW, an argument that relies on the stupidity or gullibility of the people you pretend to defend is unlikely to get you anywhere. The Left suffers too often from this kind of thinking.

The US faces many threats around the world. China faces none.

I agree. Nothing in the several thousand years of Chinese history suggests that China would do anything but defend its territory. IME, the Chinese have a (well-deserved and accurate IMV) sense of themselves and their place in the universe. At most, Japan is an irritation.

[lost&outofcontrol]

Your argument consists in saying that the media misleads Canadians (Westerners?) about subjects Canadians don't care about. It would be similar if I argued that the MSM misinforms Canadians about astronomy because of daily columns of zodiacs and horoscopes.

I just want to get this right, because you think no Canadians care about this information, it doesn't matter if they censor it?!

And comparing the Fallujah massacre by US marines with Astrology is not the same thing. I hope you can see the difference.

Now then, if you have evidence that MSM reports are blatantly biased in favor of Japanese cars over American cars, then I think you might have a case for disinformation and media propaganda.

That's just the problem. The media censors everything that should be told to us and we are left with drivel about who flashed a nipple and who drives what car. Seriously, who gives a rats ass about media biasness in the car world when the US et al. are sponsoring terrorism in foreign countries and threatening to invade countries on the flimsiest of information (which the media is more than happy to report as fact).

What do you think is more important; the media favoring Japanese cars in their reviews or the murder of innocent school children in Damour by an Israeli cluster bomb?

[Argus]

Median censorship and outright lies in the palestinian/Israel "conflict".

Not particularly believable given the overwhelming anti-Israel bias of the Left.

[Argus]

What do you think is more important; the media favoring Japanese cars in their reviews or the murder of innocent school children in Damour by an Israeli cluster bomb?

Anti-Israeli zealots are simply not believable. Even though the media, by nature, loves to report stories of the big bad military killing innocent people, they are simply not going to take the word of people like the ones you are quoting seriously. Nobody does. You all hate Israelis with a near-frenzied vitriol, and nothing you say is accepted at face-value. If An Israeli soldier was shot and killed in the doorway of an Arab shop your conspiracy theory sites would scream "Israeli military blocks entrance to helpless Arab shopkeeper's store!!" Nobody pays any attention to this sort of nonsense. The Israeli government, for all its faults, is extraordinary honest about casualties compared to ANYONE in the Arab world or the anti-Israeli zealots one finds among the dregs of the Left.