Think Progress

Pentagon suspends media propaganda campaign.

Responding to The New York Times’s explosive report exposing the Bush administration’s secret campaign to use analysts in order to “generate favorable news coverage,” the Pentagon has “temporarily stopped feeding information to retired military officers pending a review of the issue.” A department official said that a timeline for the investigation had not been set, but that they would “take the time to do it right.”



30 Responses to “Pentagon suspends media propaganda campaign.”

  1. Merlin says:

    temporarily stopped feeding information to retired military officers pending a review of the issue.”

    Meanwhile, behind the scenes at the muckymuck meeting…

    Listen guys, the cat’s out of the bag! We need a few days to figure out a good lie that will fool everybody. Any ideas???


  2. Exit Stage Left says:

    I’m sure the straight talk is just around the corner.


  3. sacopenapa says:

    Pending a of the issue? PENDING A REVIEW OF THE ISSUE???!!!!PENDING A REVIEW OF THE ISSUE?????!!!!!

    SHOULD BE PENDING A CONGRESS INVESTIGATION INTO THE MATTER OF THIS CRIMINAL ADMINISTRATION AND THE PENTAGON USING PROPAGANDA ON ITS OWN PEOPLE, AN ISSUE THAT IS CERTAINLY ILLEGAL!!!!!!!


  4. questioneverything says:

    I urge all of you to read the article linked from the post above at:

    http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54330

    and email Conyers (John.Conyers@mail.house.gov) and call Reid (202-224-3542) and Pelosi (202-225-0100) to uphold their oaths of office to support the constitution and follow the rule of law. We need accountability, not stupidity. There are a few million people out here who have actually read the constitution, who actually look for the truth. And whatever this administration says is anything but the truth.


  5. 5th Estate says:

    I clicked ‘Recommend’ on comments 1 through 5.

    Don’t anyone make me do that again.

    (shoot! I’ll probably HAVE to do that again for 6 through 11)


  6. DallasNE says:

    Temporary must be the key word. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/25/AR2008042501480_pf.html

    Oh, this is a different propaganda campaign — and even more dangerous than the one being paused.

    Why does the Bush administration think that anything they say will be believed given their track record of endless lies. Some Republicans are even tiring of the never ending intellectual dishonesty. And no wonder.


  7. jwrjr says:

    “Pentagon suspends media propaganda campaign” Suuuure they have. Anybody interested in a bridge?


  8. Zooey says:

    “temporarily”

    Slippery, ain’t they?


  9. katy says:

    from the earlier PBS thread:

    [...] TV news organizations have largely been silent on their role in the propaganda. Ari Melber notes that last night, PBS’s Newshour finally broke this blackout, but couldn’t convince the other networks to participate:

    JUDY WOODRUFF: And for the record, we invited Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC and NBC to participate, but they declined our offer or did not respond.

    whew! how fortuitous! now they don’t have to!

    wonder if they’ll report on THIS story… … not…


  10. christopher wiwi says:

    ” A department official said that a timeline for the investigation had not been set, but that they would “take the time to do it right.” YEAH, RIGHTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!


  11. delafield says:

    My online chat today with Maegen at Boston University about the Pentagon and Robert Zelnick….

    *Chat Information*You are now chatting with ‘Maegen’

    *Maegen: *Hi, how may I help you today?

    *delafield: *Did you read my message?

    *Maegen: *Yes. Mr. Zelnick is an accomplished journalist and author and therefore has much to offer to students of journalism and communication.

    *delafield: *Zelnick is an imbedded journalist for the Bush Regime. Did you see the PBS story about the Pentagon and Zelnick?

    *Maegen: *Most consider his experience as reason for his professorship. This chat feature does not exist to engage in political discussions. If you have any questions on different subject matter, I would be happy to answer them. If not, then this conversation is over.

    *delafield: *Maegan, Here is a link to the PBS Newshour program. Take everything that Zelnick says with a huge grain of salt. Our troops need your help. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/jan-june08/tvgenerals_04-24.html

    *Chat Information*Chat session has been terminated by the site operator.


  12. Keith says:

    “Pentagon suspends media propaganda campaign.”

    WRONG! We only know that they have SAID they will suspend the media campaign. TP, the Pentagon has said many times thru history that they will stop doing something wrong when the public finds out about it—and later it is found out that they LIED and never stopped it at all! Therefore, you cannot print something they say as if it were true.

    Shall I be waiting moderation on this one, too?


  13. barfly says:

    A department official said that a timeline for the investigation had not been set, but that they would “take the time to do it right.”

    Translation: there are so many fingerprints on this decision to propagandize using paid shills, that we need to provide cover long enough for the responsible persons to get safely into the private sector.

    About next March, they’ll begin to start looking at it.


  14. Freedom Rebel says:

    1. “generate favorable news coverage” = To lie to the
    American People so we can keep funding an illegal war.

    2. “temporarily stopped feeding information” = To give us
    time to get our story straight, because some of our
    lies have backfired.

    3. A department official said that a timeline for the
    investigation had not been set. = An investigation
    will never happen unless Hell freezes over.

    4. “take the time to do it right.” = What is one more lie
    after all the propaganda we have dumped on the nation.
    (I promise I won’t hold my breath)


  15. Doc Rock says:

    I am pretty sure that ““take the time to do it right” does not imply any sort of moral imperative, but merely means “not to get caught again.”


  16. vat694848 says:

    All the yarn has spun-out, five plus years, billion’s spent, and thousand’s dead, and, or wounded. The PAID mouth’s have nothing to say to me.


  17. klide says:

    Pentagon exonerates itself (again) in 3…2…


  18. Colbydog says:

    This at a time when Congress is expected to consider the butcher of bagdad
    General Betryus to become the Himmler of Cheney’s SS… his bold actions to rewrite the military handbooks to sanction torture and human rights abuses… his circus monkey performances for military stars on his uniform…

    was once considered treason and by most of the free world, still considered a war crime.

    He should be headed to Guantanimo for a torture cell and a swift execution before a kangaroo military tribunal… not to the Capitol Hill for Senate confirmation.


  19. CitiDC says:

    Feeding info to ex military folks like Admiral Roy Hoffmann the head of Swift Boat Veterans, perhaps?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Hoffmann


  20. artmann11 says:

    They’re just going to retool, rename and hide it, like the Total Information Awarness program. They certainly won’t stop it.


  21. DieNowForPeace says:

    Republicans killed America.

    More precisely, it was Bush, the dumbest mother fcuker EVER to be called POTUS.

    The Rove knew exactly how easy it would be to get the idiot-boy-puppet-Chimperor to go along with anything the neocons dreamed up since the Shrub is as feckless as a pile of shit.


  22. Marie says:

    Yes, they will “do it right” — translation: let’s give this a chance to die down and everyone forgets about it.
    We’ll find out months or years from now, that nothing has changed.


  23. Fred says:

    Guido the Loving OBGYN Says:
    America is dead. Republicans killed America.

    Someone enabled them……

    In the mean time I’m really discouraged about this. Why? How can this crisis just be swept under the rug? What is the point in changing politicians if nothing changes?

    Democrats Downplay Universal Coverage

    http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/04/24/democrats-in-congress-downplay-universal-coverage/

    http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Democrats_lower_public_expectations_on_healthcare_reform

    http://www.kxmb.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=232242


  24. Exit Stage Left says:

    #6. 5th Estate Says:

    I clicked ‘Recommend’ on comments 1 through 5.
    Don’t anyone make me do that again.
    (shoot! I’ll probably HAVE to do that again for 6 through 11)

    The nuns told me I’d go blind if I recommended myself ;)


  25. Paul W says:

    They’re going to suspend their propaganda campaign so they can investigate it? Don’t they already know what they did?

    This needs a congressional investigation…oh wait…Pelosi controls the house so that’ll be “off the table.”

    http://progressiveworldreview.com


  26. americangoy says:

    “Pentagon suspends media propaganda campaign.”

    to rename it, and start again.

    There, fixed the headline for yah.


  27. jwrjr says:

    “… take the time to do it right.” Can you say “Statute of Limitations”?


  28. The Skeptical Cynic says:

    The most recent Pentagon propaganda piece was released today. It reads as follows:

    PENTAGON SUSPENDS PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN


  29. Marie says:

    Does not the fact that the Pentagon says it has suspended the program proof that they do indeed have such a propaganda program?


  30. Bluestocking says:

    The Pentagon has “temporarily stopped feeding information to retired military officers pending a review of the issue.”

    *************************************************************

    Subtext: “We’ll hold off until the scandal dies down and everyone’s attention has been drawn elsewhere — once that happens, we’ll go right back to doing it.”



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