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Posted by Jas on 03/26/07 00:54
Iraq and the Media: A Critical Timeline
March 19, 2007
It's hardly controversial to suggest that the mainstream media's performance
in the lead-up to the Iraq War was a disaster. In retrospect, many
journalists and pundits wish they had been more skeptical of the White
House's claims about Iraq, particularly its allegations about weapons of
mass destruction. At the same time, though, media apologists suggest that
the press could not have done much better, since "everyone" was in agreement
on the intelligence regarding Iraq's weapons threat. This was never the
case. Critical journalists and analysts raised serious questions at the time
about what the White House was saying. Often, however, their warnings were
ignored by the bulk of the corporate press.
This timeline is an attempt to recall some of the worst moments in
journalism, from the fall of 2002 and into the early weeks of the Iraq War.
It is not an exhaustive catalog, but a useful reference point for
understanding the media's performance. The timeline also points to missed
opportunities, when courageous journalistsworking inside the mainstream and
the alternative mediauncovered stories that should have made the front pages
of daily newspapers, or provided fodder for TV talk shows. By reading
mainstream media critically and tuning into the alternative press, citizens
can see that the notion that "everyone" was wrong about Iraq wasand isjust
another deception.
The full timeline can be read here:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3062
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