Other Columns by Thomas D. Segel
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It was only a small item carried on the headline banner of Fox News Channel today. The report told newsreaders that in Cheshire, Massachusetts, unknown anti-war protesters had spray painted graffiti across a memorial honoring a soldier who died in the first days of the war in Iraq. This incident was not even worthy of a mention in any major media print publication or on other television outlets.

Any report showing the gross inappropriateness of the anti war movement is generally ignored by the mainstream press today. One would be required to search long and hard to find any coverage reflecting either a distortion of facts or disdain for anti war actions. In reality, the traditional media outlets of this country are more than supportive, if not encouraging of the movement.

Those who take the time to search out media coverage of Iraq, starting with the invasion, can uncover some very interesting numbers. There have been more than 35 million Google entries related to military war dead. Almost 46 million entries can be found reporting on civilians killed in the war. Twenty million, 700 thousand accounts of bombings are on file, along with another twenty million, 700 thousand reports of anti-war protests.

Now contrast those numbers with the accounts you have read about battles won, courageous acts, restored medical care, business openings, or construction completions.

As Americans follow the daily news, they learn more about Pat Tillman than they do people such as Paul Ray Smith, Joseph Perez, and James H. Coffman, Jr. or Leigh Hester.

Corporal Pat Tillman was the former National Football League star that joined the Army, went to Iraq, and was serving in Afghanistan when he was killed by friendly fire. This has been widely reported, and even now there are accounts of follow-up investigations.

Sergeant First Class Paul Ray was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for valor in Iraq, Lance Corporal Joseph B. Perez was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Colonel James H. Coffman, Jr. earned the Distinguished Service Cross for leading Iraqi forces in a five hour battle against insurgents and Sergeant Leigh Hester was presented the Silver Star for heroism during an ambush. She was the first woman to receive such an award since World War II. Readers don't recognize the names of these heroes because none of the stories were reported in any depth.

The over reporting of bad news and the lack of coverage about positive outcomes leads many people to believe the traditional press is following its own agenda. There are strong arguments being made that the American mainstream media is engaging in a propaganda war against the Bush Administration and the War in Iraq.

To understand propaganda, one must recall the techniques used so successfully by the Nazis in World War II. Boiled down to simple terms, propaganda is the act of repeating a story so often, that in the public mind, it becomes truth. The tools used to reach this objective are "name calling", "generalities", "euphemisms", "transfer", "testimonials", "plain-people", "fear" and "the bandwagon".

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