Dis-information

This from the WSJ's morning e-mail newsletter:

U.S. Military's Secret Input in Iraqi Media
As part of an information offensive in Iraq, the U.S. military is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to publish stories written by American troops in an effort to burnish the image of the U.S. mission in Iraq, the Los Angeles Times reports. The articles, written by U.S. military "information operations" troops, are translated into Arabic and placed in Baghdad newspapers with the help of a defense contractor, according to U.S. military officials and documents obtained by the Times. The operation, designed to mask any connection with the U.S. military, is taking place even as U.S. officials are pledging to promote democratic principles, political transparency and freedom of speech in a country emerging from decades of dictatorship and corruption, the Times adds.

How in the world does this happen? We are trying to teach them to be a democracy where there is a free flow of ideas -- by paying to put people's words in their mouths?

Comments

[Doug Filaroski]

What are you complaining about. At least someone is paying journalists. I remember a certain Fosters Co. who compensated reporters with free all-you-can-drink coffee and a pat on the back. (Actually, there was not pat on the back).