Iraq For Sale: Mainstream Finally Catches On

I was fascinated by our talk about Iraq For Sale. Less about the movie itself, although I'm sure it was good, but about how it was an example of the mainstream being forced to cover something that they initially didn't want to cover.

With my research for my DemocracyNow! paper and discussions we had in class, I was able to see how the media was not giving much negative press about Iraq and were encouraging people by beating the drums of war. Even my favorite reporter, Martha Raddatz, was doing her stand up on the deck of an aircraft carrier. I didn't realize it at the time, but this all contributed to the gung ho, military propaganda we were being fed, whether she realized it or not. In terms of broadcasting, it was a great stand up that was demonstrating to her viewers something, but it was contributing to this gung ho lets go to war attitude.

The reason discussing Iraq For Sale in class brought this up for me was because it was almost like I had to pinch myself, watching network broadcasters reporting on this movie that criticized something they once supported. When I grew up watching the mainstream, it was around the 9/11 period. I remember being bombarded with images of middle eastern men with the graphic terrorist under them. I remember staying up late on a school night to watch the "Shock and Awe" campaign by the military. Seeing that clip of networks reporting on the movie just threw me off a bit. Here was the mainstream actually covering this. I remember in class I said something like, "wait, did they actually cover this?"

But it all goes into the idea that the mainstream eventually is forced into covering somthing when public opinion turns. Had it not been for the turn in public opinion for the war and indi outlets like democracy now slowly over time helping to keep the public informed, we might not be seeing the mainstream report on Iraq for Sale.

So although the movie is extremely insightful and has many things that places like DemocracyNow! were reporting on very early on, such as misconduct of by private armies like Blackwater, for me, seeing this turnaround by the mainstream, was an ah-ha moment for me. Yes, I've blogged about examples in history were the mainstream media finally covered something after the public demanded it, but this example was current. It was something I lived through.

That being said, with polls showing support for airstrikes, I've noticed that the mainstream has been doing some of the same things that were doing in the invasion of Iraq. I saw Martha Raddatz back on that aircraft carrier deck doing her stand up, just 10 years older and a different enemy. Before this class, I didn't realize that this example was just another way to beat the drums of war. War is a made for TV moment. Coverage of Iraq for Sale by the mainstream allowed me to finally make a personally connection with the theme that Indi Outlets help inform the public on things that aren't being covered, forcing mainstream to overstretching,

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/us-airstrikes-isis-syria-expanded-25815966