Objectivity in American Media on War Coverage

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the concept of free speech and the censorship ad misinformation inherent in the media coverage during the Iraq war. The paper specifically examines different theories for the nature of the lack of objectivity in the media coverage, such as the corporate nature of the media and the authoritarian control over the media by the government and the breaking of constitutional rights regarding free speech.

From the Paper:

"One could opine that the Bush Administration has been marked, first and foremost, by an obsequious regard for executive privilege. Executive Order 13233, which suspends release of presidential papers, blatantly defies the idea of public information. Bush also had tight control over Congressional inquiries--particularly that of the 9/11 Commission. In the last forty years there has been a history of exposing the public to the inner operations of the Executive Branch during wartime. The American public has a strong belief in their right to know; unfortunately this is often not the case. With the Iraq War in particular one can find evidence of government censorship--a dubious tradition begun during the turn of the 20th century."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Garraty, John A. A Short History of the American Nation Since 1865. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishers, 2000.
• www.crf-usa.org/Iraqwar_html/iraqwar_press.htm (Constitutional Rights Foundation)
• www.rsf.org (Reporters Without Borders)
• www.globalpolicy.org (For a list of articles see below)
• Diemand, Mariellen "Media and Iraq: War Coverage Analysis", Media Education, May 10, 2005.

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