Weapons of Mass Deception-Essay Media 220

Emilie Batard

Student n° 2009 79328

Media 250 FZZ - Semester 1 - Year 2009/10

The Gulf War in 1991 marked a turning point in the history of information.  For the first time, some live events were screened on television. 

But could a war be broadcasted live? In the Gulf War case, it was not possible to broadcast live because an information pool from America had to first regulate the work of the journalists.

During the Gulf War and still nowadays, in the Television News, the tendency is towards special correspondents. They give an illusion of reality, and let people think their presence on the premises is a proof of authenticity. Television news want to treat the information straightaway, and unlike magazines, they don’t take time to set the event back in context.

Also, the information is meant to be universal and so is differently read depending on the cultural context in which the information is received. For instance, during the Gulf War, information has been seen as domination in the third world countries. It is also said in this documentary that Arab World saw a different war than the one we did.

The Vietnam War was simply being given a large media exposure, and even Television news played a crucial role in the American defeat. In Iraq, journalists felt they also had a role to play, but Americans avoided this. 

Yet, the medias had a mediatory function between the two sides, Georges Bush and Saddam Hussein. They wanted to be a “third party” in remaining as neutral as possible. But this neutrality cannot exist. In the time of war, media sticks on Americans’ viewpoints. It has always been like this. The government wants to control the political discussion. Coverage had been one-sided.

“People gives you the story and you go out and do it”.

In the context of the globalization of the information, it becomes more complicated. During the Gulf War, the information was mainly Western. But in the Iraq War, we notice a change: There were three centers of information: The coalition (the embedded journalists), the Western media who wasn’t with the coalition (such as France, Germany, Russia and Canada…) and three Arabic Television Channels.

There were a lot of information, lots of images, etc… But quantities of information do not necessary provide quality. Furthermore, this notion of quantity comes with fastness and live broadcasting but it is necessary to take distance to produce good information.

In the documentary Weapons of Mass Deception, the question is asked: Is this journalism or coverage? There is a big difference between journalism and coverage. Getting access doesn’t mean you are getting the story. “Coverage is bad journalism”. That is why our role, as viewers, is to be critical thinkers and not news consumers.

The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks brought some changes in the news making. The globalization of the information reinforced two positions involved in the conflict: Hatred or support to the United States. This shows that terrorists directly integrate strategies of communication. It is simply a sophisticated form of propaganda that has always existed. This obliges the media to have a critical reflection about their role and responsibilities. It cannot be satisfying to inform people as fast as possible on behalf of competition. To them, the war was a product, they sold it and we bought it.

We need to think of a different way to resist to a certain form of hysteria. Journalists need to have a critical reflection about their new role in the globalization of the information. If they do not, they will take the risk to be manipulated by new technology and political interests. To be in opposing force, you need to create a new ethic of journalism, rights and responsibilities of the media. 

 

“Believe in the freedom of the press no freedom from those we own the press”

From Weapons of Mass Deception.