Military's news-planting service (New York Times)

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ted Nelson <tandm () xanadu net>
Date: December 18, 2005 11:49:40 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Cc: tandm () xanadu net
Subject: Military's news-planting service (New York Times)

Military's Information War Is Vast and Often Secretive
By JEFF GERTH
The media center in Fayetteville, N.C., would be the envy of any global
communications company.

In state of the art studios, producers prepare the daily mix of music  
and
news for the group's radio stations or spots for friendly television
outlets. Writers putting out newspapers and magazines in Baghdad and  
Kabul
converse via teleconferences. Mobile trailers with high-tech gear are
parked outside, ready for the next crisis.

The center is not part of a news organization, but a military operation,
and those writers and producers are soldiers. The 1,200-strong
psychological operations unit based at Fort Bragg turns out what its
officers call "truthful messages" to support the United States  
government's
objectives, though its commander acknowledges that those stories are
one-sided and their American sponsorship is hidden.

"We call our stuff information and the enemy's propaganda," said Col.  
Jack
N. Summe, then the commander of the Fourth Psychological Operations  
Group,
during a tour in June. Even in the Pentagon, "some public affairs
professionals see us unfavorably," and inaccurately, he said, as "lying,
dirty tricksters."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/politics/11propaganda.html? 
ei=5090&en=3b29
830b7c656c93&ex=1291957200&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

Cheers,T


________________________________________________
Theodor Holm Nelson, Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute
 University of Oxford, 1 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3JS, UK
V. Professor, U. Southampton; V. Fellow, Wadham College
Founder, Project Xanadu (the first hypertext project), 1960+
 •  e-mail: tandm () xanadu net  •  http://ted.hyperland.com,
     •  xanadu.com  •  translit.org  •  transcopyright.org
 •  world-wide phone and fax  +1/908-847-0264
_________________________________________________



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