» SubscribeMain section
-
Top story
World journalists condemn “stooge journalism”
DATELINE: 5/12/05
Leaders of the International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest journalists’ group, today accused the United States of “operating a cynical campaign of double standards” in Iraq after newspaper reports that a sophisticated propaganda offensive is being waged whereby the US army is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to publish articles written by American troops posing as journalists.
According to the Los Angeles Times, articles written by US military "information operations" troops, are translated into Arabic and placed in Baghdad newspapers in order to boost the image of the American operation in the country.
The stories are presented as unbiased news reports from independent journalists and present a one-sided view of events, omitting all information that reflects badly on the US or Iraqi authorities.
The IFJ Executive Committee, meeting this weekend in Sydney, Australia, condemned the practice and warned that such practices “make a mockery” of commitments to free expression by US leaders and they damage efforts to encourage independence and professionalism within Iraqi journalism.
“The US is operating a cynical campaign of double standards. It is manipulating media with stories by stooge journalists which tell lies and distort the reality facing millions of people in Iraq ,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. “This activity weakens its public stance of defending democracy and undermines all the efforts of journalists to create a culture based upon respect for press freedom and human rights.”
The IFJ says that the US should immediately cancel all projects and agreements by which sub-contracting private companies are used to place the stories in Iraqi media. The staff of one sub-contractor - the Lincoln Group - according to the Los Angeles Times sometimes pose as freelance reporters or advertising executives when they deliver the stories to Baghdad media outlets to disguise any association with the US army.
The IFJ and other groups have been organising projects and activities, sometimes with the support of US sources of funding, in the promotion of editorial independence and freedom of expression in Iraq.
”All the work that is being carried out in Iraq and in the region in support of press freedom is compromised by this media manipulation,” said White. “It should come to halt immediately.”
For further information contact +32 2 235 22 00
Last modified: Monday, December 5, 2005
Previous war reporting stories
MPs raise questions on Aljazeera-gate
'Iraq memo leak' accused in court
So Who is Behind Planting Stories in Iraqi Press?
IFJ accuses US over killing of Aljazeera journalist
Basra and the British Army
Iraq: the journalists’ death toll
The news - responsible for war and terrorism?
Nigeria- The Next Gulf?
Baghdad Bulletin: The Real Story of the War in Iraq – Reporting from Beyond the Green Zone
Hard hitting media exposé to launch 'Everyman Exposé'
An Alliance Against Babylon (Review)
Weapons of Mass Deception: the movie
Communicating war: strategies, implications & ethics.
Pentagon rejects Reuters' torture allegations
CNN news chief resigns amid row
Two Disasters, Two Responses
Relish and fervour at the Telegraph
Iraq: the Gaping Gaps in War Reporting
Media killings cast shadow on Human Rights Day
How to report the Holy Land
Dyke suggests how Blair might say 'Sorry'.
Mediawar: Covering conflicts after Iraq
Media Culpa? - the media and Iraq
Make peace not war at the Labour Party Conference
Guardian report "Iraqi police abduct journalists"
CPBF CONDEMNS ISRAELI TREATMENT OF JOURNALIST
IRNA managing director urges speedy release of abducted staff
CPBF condemns closure of Al-Jazeera
Light Reading for Dark Nights
Butler’s Report: A very British Inquiry
-
Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
-
Previous stories
War Reporting
MPs raise questions on Aljazeera-gate
'Iraq memo leak' accused in court
So Who is Behind Planting Stories in Iraqi Press?
IFJ accuses US over killing of Aljazeera journalist
Basra and the British Army
Iraq: the journalists’ death toll
The news - responsible for war and terrorism?
Nigeria- The Next Gulf?
Baghdad Bulletin: The Real Story of the War in Iraq – Reporting from Beyond the Green Zone
Hard hitting media exposé to launch 'Everyman Exposé'
An Alliance Against Babylon (Review)
Weapons of Mass Deception: the movie
Communicating war: strategies, implications & ethics.
Pentagon rejects Reuters' torture allegations
CNN news chief resigns amid row
Two Disasters, Two Responses
Relish and fervour at the Telegraph
Iraq: the Gaping Gaps in War Reporting
Media killings cast shadow on Human Rights Day
How to report the Holy Land
Dyke suggests how Blair might say 'Sorry'.
Mediawar: Covering conflicts after Iraq
Media Culpa? - the media and Iraq
Make peace not war at the Labour Party Conference
Guardian report "Iraqi police abduct journalists"
CPBF CONDEMNS ISRAELI TREATMENT OF JOURNALIST
IRNA managing director urges speedy release of abducted staff
CPBF condemns closure of Al-Jazeera
Light Reading for Dark Nights
Butler’s Report: A very British Inquiry
