Fyeieio---
Norman Solomon is about the most acute and accurate media critic in the
land...
hear him...
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 10:47:36 EST
>
> Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 14:22:28 -0800 (PST)
>
> BUILDING A MEDIA AGENDA FOR WAR
>
> By Norman Solomon <[log in to unmask]>
>
>       WASHINGTON -- Listen up, future leaders of America. If you want to
> develop the necessary skills for promoting a war agenda in our country's
> news media, recent events are instructive.
>
>       Going to war is not simply a matter of ordering soldiers to fire
> missiles and drop bombs. There's a lot more involved. The public must be
> induced to accept and even cheer the bloodshed. That requires some careful
> preparation.
>
>       Consider the steps taken by our leaders before missiles began to
> explode in Yugoslavia on March 24. Prior groundwork was needed. Top U.S.
> officials deserve a lot of credit -- but they couldn't have gotten the job
> done without assists from reporters in Washington and their colleagues
> overseas.
>
>       Oh yes, there were exceptions -- some skeptical journalists raised
> pointed questions about the harm done by launching a military assault on
> Yugoslavia -- but they mostly served to underscore that dissent can be
> properly subsumed by a war agenda.
>
>       Anyone who wants to wield the national-security apparatus of this
> great nation must learn to steer the mass media in the right direction.
> It's a matter of sustained guidance rather than turning on a dime.
>
>       Let's face it: The world is filled with countries run by
> governments that abuse human rights. (Yugoslavia is one of many.) But the
> USA has to be very selective. After all, a lot of those governments are
> closely allied with Washington. And you can't exactly bomb a government
> while you're sending it millions of dollars every week!
>
>       An evenhanded approach to human rights would seriously damage the
> capacity of the United States to launch attacks across the globe. If
> you're going to demonize certain leaders -- and that's just about a
> prerequisite for building a war agenda -- then you've got to pick and
> choose.
>
>       To create the proper conditions for war, leave as little to chance
> as possible. Certain criteria must be met in order to exercise appropriate
> leadership for war:
>
>       * If you're going to bomb a country, it may as well be one that
> arrogantly refuses to allow U.S. troops to be stationed on its soil.
> (European countries are wonderfully hospitable in this regard, but
> Yugoslavia is a notable exception.)
>
>       * Steadily vilify the leader of the country you're interested in
> bombing.  Repeatedly emphasize his evil deeds so that reporters, editorial
> writers and pundits will relay the message.
>
>       * Meanwhile, to avoid distractions, be careful to downplay or
> ignore the evil deeds of the governments of countries you're not
> interested in bombing.  If a regime is allied with Washington, you'll want
> to ignore its human rights violations as much as possible.
>
>       * Don't even think about applying a single standard for human
> rights. The Pentagon would sure look silly firing cruise missiles at
> countries that receive massive amounts of U.S. aid, such as Egypt, Israel
> and Turkey. Get it straight: Some torture is deplorable, some is fundable.
>
>       Most skills must be learned, so don't hesitate to sit at the feet
> of the masters of war. You can appreciate -- and emulate -- their
> achievements. The Clinton administration has put its dazzling media acumen
> behind the NATO forces dropping 2,000-pound bombs on a sovereign nation,
> in tandem with cooperative American news outlets.
>
>       About an hour before the first missiles struck Yugoslavia, viewers
> heard a Fox News Channel anchor make an understandable slip: "Let's bring
> in our Pentagon spokesman -- excuse me, our Pentagon correspondent." The
> fact that it's so often difficult to tell the difference is a triumph for
> effective perception management.
>
>       Soon, all the networks were filled with exciting footage of U.S.
> planes taking off from bases in Italy and England. And, across television
> screens, a parade of former military officers began. A retired Marine
> Corps general named Richard Neal -- now a "CNN military analyst" --
> bedazzled a fawning anchor with euphemisms like "neutralize," "take out"
> and "collateral damage." Just what the spin doctors ordered.
>
>       State-of-the-art TV graphics continued to enhance the war-viewing
> experience for a large nationwide audience of Americans who could see
> their tax dollars at work -- dramatically underscoring President Clinton's
> longtime assertion that the government can do some things very well. More
> than one Pentagon spokesman -- er, Pentagon correspondent -- hailed the
> "combat debut" of the B-2 stealth bomber.
>
>       The war was off to a fine start. The Fourth Estate functioned
> smoothly as a fourth branch of government. Let that be a lesson to you.
>
> ___________________________________________
>
> Norman Solomon's book "The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media" is being
> published in April.
>
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