There’s not much to be said about Metanoia’s “Psywar” except that it bears watching. A history of the public relations industry, this outstanding documentary explores the highly deleterious impact of organized and well-funded propaganda efforts on a would-be democratic society. [END] Permalink: Psywar
Above are two short media-critical films from different filmmakers. At top, “Globalization and the Media” from the Media Education Foundation highlights the rise of independent and primarily internet-based journalism in recent years. (Many more excellent videos touching on various topics related to the media and society are available at the link.) At bottom, part three of “Who Really Owns the Mainstream Media” (parts one and two are unavailable) discusses the convergence of upper-class interests in the governance of American media. [END] Permalink: Globalization and the Media & Who Really Owns the Mainstream Media
This media-critical film from Robert Greenwald singles out Rupert Murdoch, his giant News Corporation and its far-right Fox News channel for some well deserved thrashing. The video was produced in 2004; this video from Rachel Maddow updates Fox News’ overlaps with the far-right Republican Party to late 2010. As recent elections have shown, however, simply pointing a finger at the Republicans, no matter how justified, is not going to be enough for the Democrats as a campaign strategy. And would a majority of Democrat wins really make for a significantly better America? The standards have fallen way too far across the board and it’s going to take a lot more than rule by the “Republicans Lite” to get things where they need to be. [END] Permalink: Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism
Robert Kane Pappas’ “Orwell Rolls in His Grave” is probably the premier video overview of what is wrong with the media today and how American democracy has suffered as a result of the faults of this essential part of a self-governing society. Featuring Robert McChesney, Mark Crispin Miller, Bernie Sanders and others, “Orwell” covers a wide range of topics from the depoliticizing of the American public at the hands of the infotainment-oriented “news” agencies to the widespread media consolidation following the sweeping deregulations of the Reagan era. [END] Permalink: Orwell Rolls in His Grave
This wide ranging and highly informative talk by investigative journalist Daniel Hopsicker centers primarily on Hopsicker’s research into the pre-9/11 activities of several alleged 9/11 hijackers including Mohammed Atta in and around Venice, Florida where some of them are supposed to have attended flight school. Hopsicker’s past research has focused on the CIA’s drug trafficking activities in Arkansas and elsewhere and it is partly through these links that his 9/11 information came to light. Hopsicker makes an excellent point in this speech about how full the internet is with mere opinions and suggests that if social activists want to move forward, they ought to consider training in journalism. The video includes footage of Hopsicker’s interview with exotic dancer Amanda Keller, Mohammed Atta’s alleged American girlfriend in Florida. [END] Permalink: Daniel Hopsicker at the 2008 New England 9/11 Symposium
This German documentary presents a European perspective on the United States’ history of lying to the world in order to advance war agendas with a particular focus on the 9/11 attacks and the so-called “War on Terror.” This video serves as an excellent aid to understanding why the official version of 9/11 is an obvious lie, from the legends of the hijackers to the physical effects observed in the plane crashes and destruction of the buildings, and continues on into an extended analysis of the role of the media in promoting these lies, the agenda of social transformation which has been put into place in their wake and other topics. [END] Permalink: 9/11 False Flag
Barrie Zwicker’s “The Great Conspiracy: The 9/11 News Special You Never Saw” is a nice overview of the reasons to doubt the official story of the 9/11 attacks. Here is some additional information on Philip Zelikow, executive director of the 9/11 Commission and a member of the Clinton-Bush transition team. It should also be noted that 1998, the year that Zelikow’s “Catastrophic Terrorism” was published, was also the year that the neocons’ Project for the New American Century group was beginning its push on Bill Clinton to attack Iraq and essentially begin the so-called “War on Terror” at that time. [END] Permalink: The Great Conspiracy: The 9/11 News Special You Never Saw
John Pilger’s“Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror” questions the fundamental motives for the so-called “War on Terror” of the United States. In this video, Pilger explores the U. S.’ extensive recent history of military interventions both overt and covert in dozens of nations worldwide which, in the 21st century, have been expanded into a quest for what the Bush administration termed “full spectrum dominance” on a global scale. [END] Permalink: Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror
The “whole truth” about anything may or may not be knowable, let alone expressible. Nevertheless, Robert Greenwald’s “Uncovered”, promoted heavily by the MoveOn PAC, interviews a number of U. S. government officials and ex-officials who have something to say about the Iraq war being a fraud. The lies which paved the way for the U. S. invasion of Iraq here are discussed at length by insiders from the CIA, armed forces and other institutions. [END] Permalink: Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War
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