» SubscribeMain section
-
Top story
Revealed: war propaganda in the British media
DATELINE: 1/9/08
On 26 August, the Guardian revealed that a Whitehall counter-terrorism unit is targeting the BBC and other media organisations as part of a new global propaganda push. The Guardian noted that: "The disclosure that a Whitehall counter-terrorism propaganda operation is promoting material to the BBC and other media will raise fresh concerns about official news management in a highly sensitive area."
According to the paper issued by the Research Information and Communication Unit,' the report says: "We are pushing this material to UK media channels, eg, a BBC radio programme exposing tensions between AQ leadership and supporters. And a restricted working group will communicate niche messages through media and non-media."
Media Workers Against the War spokesperson, David Crouch said: "These revelations raise very serious questions about recent corporate media coverage of the 'war on terror'.
"In June there was a string of stories in the British press stressing that al-Qaeda was 'down but not out', suffering set-backs in Iraq and Afghanistan - precisely the message being pushed by Whitehall counter-intelligence.
"Yet the crisis in Pakistan and the killing of 10 French and 9 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan in successive weeks shows what rubbish this is.
"The secret services in the UK and US have a disgraceful record of planting mis-information and propaganda in the media."
In the run-up to the Iraq war, the Observer's reporter David Rose became a mouthpiece for MI5 and MI6 propaganda - by his own admission. Rose now deeply regrets this.
Mr.Crouch added that: "In April the New York Times exposed that the Pentagon conducted a major campaign of placing retired generals on US TV news to put the case for war in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. In 2002 Rumsfeld's "Office of Strategic Influence" inside the Pentagon had to be scrapped after it emerged that the OSI planned to plant "black propaganda" in foreign media.
"The news that counter-intelligence is targetting the BBC should be a wake-up call to all journalists", he concluded.
Last modified: Monday, September 1, 2008
Previous war reporting stories
Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an unembedded journalist in occupied Iraq
Iraq 5 years on: How the media sells war and why
Media workers challenge war
Journalists to debate concerns over war coverage
Alan's thanks
Consistently biased
Hostage for 100 days
Media independence during Iraq war questioned
Journalists' Coverage of Middle East Shallow and Distorted
NUJ welcomes release of kidnapped photographer
Murdoch has no regrets over Iraq
'Bomb Al-jazeera', Blunkett said
Book Review: 'The Origins and Organisation of British Propaganda in Ireland 1920'
Don't Attack Iran
Media workers against the war - meeting
Rumsfeld's assault on free speech
Unworthy Victims?
World journalists condemn “stooge journalism”
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
-
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
Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an unembedded journalist in occupied Iraq
Iraq 5 years on: How the media sells war and why
Media workers challenge war
Journalists to debate concerns over war coverage
Alan's thanks
Consistently biased
Hostage for 100 days
Media independence during Iraq war questioned
Journalists' Coverage of Middle East Shallow and Distorted
NUJ welcomes release of kidnapped photographer
Murdoch has no regrets over Iraq
'Bomb Al-jazeera', Blunkett said
Book Review: 'The Origins and Organisation of British Propaganda in Ireland 1920'
Don't Attack Iran
Media workers against the war - meeting
Rumsfeld's assault on free speech
Unworthy Victims?
World journalists condemn “stooge journalism”
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
