Presenting Propaganda as News

Analysis:

This piece starts by asking the question of “imagine what it must be like for those folks who have to live amid all that chaos.” One would expect that after asking this question, the story would focus on the lives of ordinary Iraqis, possibly interviewing a few of them. Rather, the story proceeds by reporting that two public service announcements are running on Iraqi TV praising Iraqi police and condemning the “terrorists.” The reporter is unable to say who made the PSA’s, saying that they might be “the work of US contractors who have been commissioned to influence public opinion” but that “the Pentagon won’t say.” The story then jumps to a clip of Vice President Dick Cheney saying “If they’re (the Democrats) competent to fight this war then I ought to be singing on American Idol.” It should be pointed out that American Idol is a show on FOX 17, so this clip is essentially product placement for FOX 17 programming. The piece ends with a mention that Russia provided Iraq with intelligence before the US invasion. No context or details are provided on this point.

This piece is essentially three unrelated topics pertaining to Iraq thrown together in one news story. The only unifying factor is that non of these three topics address the question that the news story starts with,”what is life like for the people of Iraq?”

Story:

WXMI Newsreader – At least fifty more people have been reported killed in Iraq including two US soldiers. On a more positive note, Iraq’s president predicts a new unity government could be in place by the end of the month. FOX 17’s Grant Rampy is at the Pentagon tonight with the latest.

Reporter – Well lately we’ve heard a lot more bad news than good from that part of the world; imagine what it must be like for those folks who have to live amid all that chaos. Many Iraqis don’t have to wait for the evening news to see evidence of the war raging all around them, they need only step outside. But new public service announcements running on Iraqi TV try to cast the violence in a new light. In this PSA, a small boy speaks with pride about his father, a police officer.

PSA (Translated) – The other day he was caught between innocent Iraqis and the terrorists. He used all his bullets to finish all the criminals off.

Reporter – The ads closes, “our police officers are the knights of Iraq”, a second message salutes Iraq’s diversity warning “terrorist can’t divide us.” It’s unclear whether this is the work of US contractors who have been commissioned to influence public opinion, the Pentagon won’t say. Then there is this ad, which makes use of a child’s simple drawings, a young voice addresses insurgents asking…

PSA (translated) – Why do you hate your country? We have no electricity at school because you destroyed the power house. At home we have no heating because you bombed the oil pipelines. You’re greedy and selfish and don’t care about us children or our families.

Reporter – With no sign that the recent wave of violent attacks here is about to die down, the White House is firing back at critics. To democrats who accuse the administration of incompetence, the vice president jokes…

Cheney – If they’re competent to fight this war then I ought to be singing on American Idol.

Reporter – And a stunning disclosure today has officials here scratching their heads. A new report suggests, Russian spies gave US secrets to Saddam Hussein before the war began. It’s intelligence he reportedly ignored, still, questions abound. How did the Russians get the intel, and why did they pass it along? At the Pentagon, Grant Rampy, FOX 17 News at 10.

Total Time: 2 minutes 5 seconds