A recent lengthy, detailed report from The New York Times (NYT) revealed a Pentagon propaganda machine that, aided by the Bush administration, was used to sell the “war on terror,” starting with fanning the flames to illegally invade Iraq that still continues to this day, effectively transforming “military analysts” into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks — while exemplifying the complicity of major media.
These ‘military analysts’ were reportedly presented tens of thousands of times on television and radio to give ‘authoritative and unfettered judgments’ about the most pressing issues of the post-Sept. 11 world.
An investigation by the NYT revealed that hidden behind the appearance of objectivity is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those ‘military analysts’ in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the Bush administration’s wartime performance.
Most of the ‘military analysts’ have ties to military contractors — although they rarely if ever disclosed that information to the viewers — vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air, representing more than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants. As noted by the Nation, spreading “covert propaganda” is illegal under federal law. More information can be found in the article from the NYT. It’s a lengthy report, but well worth the read.