- Part 1
-
- It has long been the strong belief of many Americans
that their print and television media is subject to certain government
oversight and, finally, control.
-
- Recently, a mid-level executive of one of the three major
American television networks sent on over 1500 pages of memos from the
corporate offices of his network in New York to the head of their television
news division.
-
- These memos contain a multitude of instructions concerning
the presentation of national and international news for the network's viewers.
Corporate is obviously subject to the opinions of various pressure groups,
to include those of official Washington and the Jewish community.
-
- It would be impossible to show all of these revealing
documents but selections are certainly possible. What is not possible,
obviously, is to reveal either the name of the conscience-stricken media
executive nor the company that employs him. These comments, therefore,
can be accepted or rejected by the reader as they see fit.
-
- If the shoe fits, however, wear it.
-
- (March 22) ...it is not conducive to maintaining an overall
neutrality in the Palestine uprisings to show any pictures of the American
peacenik that was run over by the Israeli army bulldozer. This is only
to be mentioned as a ãtragic accidentä for which the IDF ãis
truly saddened.ä
-
- (Feb 10) ...It is not permitted at this point to use
or refer to any film clips, stills or articles emanating from any French
source whatsoever.
-
- (Feb 26) It is expected that coverage of the forthcoming
Iraqi campaign will be identical with the coverage used during Desert Storm.
Shots of GIs must show a mixed racial combination...any interviews must
reflect the youthful and idealistic, not the cynical point of view...the
liberation of happy, enthusiastic Iraqis can be best shown by filming crowds
of cheering citizens waving American flags. Also indicated would be pictures
of photogenic GIs fraternizing with Iraqi children and handing them food
or other non-controversial presents...of course, pictures of dead US military
personnel are not to be shown and pictures of dead Iraqi soldiers should
not show examples of violent death...also indicated would be brief interviews
with English-speaking Iraqi citizens praising American liberation efforts...all
such interviews must be vetted by either the White House or Pentagon before
public airing.
-
- (March 12) At this point in time, reference to North
Korean military threats must be played down entirely. The Iraqi Freedom
campaign has to be concluded in the public mind before proceeding with
the next assault on the Evil Axis.
-
- (March 26) US alliances with the Turkish/Iraqi Kurdish
tribes should be played down. This is considered a very sensitive issue
with the Turks and American arming and support of the Kurds could create
a severe backlash in Ankara...Kurds should be depicted as 'Iraqi Freedom
Fighters' and not identified as Kurds.
-
- (March 2) ...further references to the religious views
of the President are to be deleted...
-
- (March 15) photo opportunities of the President and members
of his cabinet, especially Secretary Rumsfeld, with enthusiastic GIs·.
-
- (March 19) No mention, repeat, no mention, of Palestinian
suicide bombers during the Iraqi operation...
-
- (March 25) ...no mention of either Wolfowitz or Pearle
should be made at the present time.
-
- (March 10) ...pro-Government rallies are to be given
the fullest coverage...if anti-Government demonstrations are shown, it
is desired to stress either a very small number of ãeccentricsä
or shots of social misfits; i.e., with beards, tattoos, physical deformities,
etc. Pro-Government supporters should be seen as clean cut with as many
well-groomed subjects as possible...subjects should stress complete support
for the Presidentâs programs and especially support for American
military units en route to combat...also interviews with photogenic family
members of participating GIs stressing loyalty and affection·American
flags are always a good prop in the background...
-
- Controlling the News - Part 2
- <http://tbrnews.org/Archives/a280.htm>http://tbrnews.org/Archives/a280.htm
-
- (March 30) Friction between Secretary Rumsfeld and senior
military field commanders in Iraq are to be strictly minimalized and used
only when impossible to avoid...the Secretary's point of view on all military
matters is to be stressed...important to bring out his reputation as a
'man who shakes things up' and a brilliant innovator.
-
- (March 31) ...no discussion of high-level rumors about
pre-emptive tactical nuclear strikes against North Korean missile, ãhardä
artillery positions opposite Seoul or key North Korean leadership or military
commands is to be mentioned. It must be stressed that the North Korean
situation is viewed as ãserious but not criticalä by unnamed
'senior U.S. military leaders.'
-
- (March 31) ...no mention of PRC strong objections to
US pre-emptive actions against North Korea...a short summary of the Presidentâs
refusal to 'enter into any kind of negotiations' with the North Korean
government...background report on the irrational and anti-democratic forces
in North Korea - the desire of South Korea's officials to maintain a close
relationship with their American military protectors...no discussion of
anti-US demonstrations in Seoul. These can be routinely dismissed as 'radical
students who are not supported by the new liberal and strongly pro-American
President.'
-
- April 4) ...sharply rising unemployment numbers, this
should be countered with official interviews stressing that the unemployment
situation is now stabilizing and expected to fall soon.
-
- (March 30) Because of the seriousness of the spread of
SARS, actual figures of either the infected or of any deaths from local
medical facilities must be carefully vetted via the CDC press information
office in Atlanta. From the highest level, it is imperative that the American
public not panic over the very rapid spread of this disease. Speculations
of the actual nature of SARS is not under any circumstances to be permitted.
Keep in mind the currently in- place rules following the outbreak of 'Legionnaires
Disease.'
-
- (April 4) ...a discussion of French desecrations of American
and British war graves in France is to receive specific notice. Also, damage
to the 9/11 memorial in Paris is to be included. No pictures of swastikas
or other defamatory and anti-Administration graffiti are to be shown. French
official apologies are permitted...no comments equating the President with
Hitler will be made...and the invasion of Iraq may not be compared with
Hitler's invasion of Poland, and such allegations now being made extensively
in offshore media coverage are not to receive any attention. The Iraqi
campaign is officially a campaign by a democratic United States against
ruthless cruelty and oppression.
-
- (April 5) ...comments appearing in the left-wing British
Guardian about the occupation and administration of a conquered (read ãliberated
and newly democratizedä) Iraq by American military personnel are to
be ignored. 'Pacification, liberation, freedom and gratitude towards US
forces,' and the President are to be stressed.
-
- (March 29) The President's goal, to achieve oil autarchy
by the United States, is suggested as the subject for a future series.
Congressional denial of drilling in various environmentally 'sensitive'
areas may be derided as foolish misunderstanding of America's vital oil
needs and catering to the radical environmentalist groups. The interdiction
of oil shipments to the United States from Venezuela and Nigeria are not
to be commented upon. The attitude of Chavez towards the United States
is also considered a non-topic. He was removed from power once and it can
happen a second time. File footage of large crowds of distressed and unhappy
Venezuelans should be prepared against the time he is removed from power
again.
-
- (April 4) If possible, pictures of the President with
a book or, better, actually reading, are suggested. Commentary about his
extensive reading habits...stress important historical and economic works.
-
- (April 5) Presidential visits to military units in the
United States are to receive full coverage and to extend past the usual
slot time...spots of especially warm receptions are considered very important.
-
- (March 31) ...at pro-government rallies, signs showing:
'Antiwar' (or 'Protestors') = 'Terrorist' should be given specific coverage.
-
- (April 1) It has been suggested that something be worked
up showing that, unlike Vietnam, Americaâs college students support
the President fully and are not involved in the anti-war movements. It
is considered advisable to blame the 'former hippie-type' professors for
any campus anti-war sentiment. Students could be shown eagerly joining
their ROTC chapters or even holding pro-Administration demonstrations.
-
- http://tbrnews.org/Archives/a273.htm
-
-
- Comment
-
- From Anna Ghonim
- aghonim@amideast.org
- 4-14-3
-
-
- I discovered your site in the last few weeks as I have
looked for
- sources to read that don't anger me because of their
pro-Iraq war
- stance. Your site has a lot of interesting info and
lots of links to
- stuff that is hard to access or find otherwise.
-
- I read the story about "controlling the press,"
which contained excerpts
- from memos alleged to have been sent by an executive
for a US
- broadcaster, giving very clear directions for censoring
various kinds of
- news stories. I felt that this was really scary stuff
so I went to the
- source Rense.com got it from, a Website called "Tbrnews".
I looked
- through it trying to figure out who publishes it and
what TBR stands
- for. It is "the Barnes Report" named after
a Holocaust revisionist
- whose name was Barnes and run by a Holocaust denial group
of some kind
- (I found this info in the Nizkor project's site -- they
do research on
- Holocaust denial). The group itself does not have any
info like this,
- you really have to dig.
-
- As many of the "memo excerpts" quoted, are
about Israel and make it look
- like it and the US news people are in some sort of conspiracy,
and as
- the group publishing it denies the Holocaust, I would
think this is not
- a very good source -- It seems they could very well have
made it up,
- seeing as their major aim in life is to deny historical
facts about
- World War II that concern Jewish suffering -- i.e., they
don't like
- Jews, so this "memo" stuff is pretty darned
convenient for them.
-
- Not to mention the fact they won't name the network they
supposedly
- received this stuff from, which sounds pretty shadowy.
- The news media does in fact exercise self-censorship
on the Israel
- issue, but I don't believe it needs memos, as all of
its writers
- understand the script so well.
-
- Best regards,
- Anna Ghonim
- Cairo, Egypt
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