>In some ways it is not as bad as a hundred years ago
>when political parties invested in newspapers. Back
>then, there were not so many other means of obtaining
>information so the people could be convinced to believe
>a certain thing given enough prodding in the newspapers.


And, with the current administration, in some ways its worse.
_______________________

Armstrong Williams: Seeking to build support among black families for its education reform law, the Bush administration paid a prominent black pundit $240,000 to promote the law on his nationally syndicated television show and to urge other black journalists to do the same.
_______________________

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 - Titled "The Sands Are Blowing Toward a Democratic Iraq," an article written this week for publication in the Iraqi press was scornful of outsiders' pessimism about the country's future.

"Western press and frequently those self-styled 'objective' observers of Iraq are often critics of how we, the people of Iraq, are proceeding down the path in determining what is best for our nation," the article began. Quoting the Prophet Muhammad, it pleaded for unity and nonviolence.

But far from being the heartfelt opinion of an Iraqi writer, as its language implied, the article was prepared by the United States military as part of a multimillion-dollar covert campaign to plant paid propaganda in the Iraqi news media and pay friendly Iraqi journalists monthly stipends, military contractors and officials said.
_______________________

Jeff Gannon / James Guckert: worked under the pseudonym Jeff Gannon as a White House reporter between 2003 and 2005, representing Talon News. After Guckert came under public scrutiny, in particular for his journalistic background and involvement with various homosexual escort service websites using the professional name Bulldog, he resigned from Talon News on February 8, 2005. He has since created his own official homepage and become a columnist for the Washington Blade newspaper, where he has come out as bisexual.

Gannon had previously advertised his services on the internet as a male prostitute "top" at $1200 per weekend.

Jeff Gannon stayed over on numerous occasions at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. White House overnight stays were not uncommon, according to Secret Service logs of Jeff Gannon's White House entries and exits, requested by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) using the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act). White House logs furnished by the Secret Service show that the reporter Jeff Gannon (a.k.a James Guckert) stayed overnight at the White House on many occasions — even when press conferences or briefings were not scheduled.

Guckert has stated that he obtained frequent daily passes to White House briefings. He attended four Bush press conferences and appeared regularly at White House press briefings. Americablog, a Weblog focusing on gay rights issues discovered Gannon's pseudonym and made public his past history, as Guckert, 'Gannon', and 'Bulldog'. Questions have arisen as to Guckert's relationship with the White House and with the Republican Party. Although he did not qualify for a Congressional press pass, Guckert was given daily passes to White House press briefings "after supplying his real name, date of birth and Social Security number." [1]

Guckert first gained national attention during a presidential press conference on January 26, 2005, in which he asked United States President George W. Bush a question that some in the press corps considered "so friendly it might have been planted."

James Guckert is under investigation in the Valerie Plame affair. Democratic Representative Louise Slaughter of New York called for an investigation of these allegations and possibly related incidents where the Bush administration paid pundits to advocate their policies.





>
>
>>>When I posted that comment, I was being completely facetious.
>>
>>My bad re the "LAtimes debunked". Your possibilities references also facetious? You dont list any from CBS, ABC, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, Univision, BBC World.
>>
>> :0) Based on Evan's debunking other posts due to the source of the information in his opinion being a neo-con source. Here in the U.S., with freedom of speech, there is very little enforcement of nonpartison leanings in our media. Almost every source leans to the left or the right. (That is afterall, how many newspapers were started) It is necessary these days to watch and read more than one source and to read/hear both sides in order to see a more middle of the road view of the same events. I typically watch many news shows these days - CBS, ABC, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, Univision, BBC World, etc. Often I see the same story portrayed many different ways. I think it is important to use many sources and evaluate the story or source after weighing all of the sources. We cannot rule out any one source of information, but weigh its value based on other sources as well.
>>>
>>>
>>>>I have to use your own LATimes "and therefore are debunked" position on this one. Worldnetdaily, newsmax, and washtimes make foxnews looked like a ted kennedy publication.
>>>>
>>>>>Some possibilities:
>>>>>
>>>>>http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20050427-121915-1667r.htm
>>>>>http://www.2la.org/syria/iraq-wmd.php
>>>>>http://www.2la.org/syria/wmd.html
>>>>>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36463
>>>>>http://www.nationalreview.com/geraghty/geraghty200401120834.asp
>>>>>http://www.state.gov/t/us/rm/24135.htm
>>>>>http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/3/2/230625.shtml
>>>>>http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20040816-011235-4438r.htm
>>>>>http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1340941,00.html
>>>>>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36844
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>I am most certainly NOT ignoring any intelligense.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>If you read my post, I posted that the CIA's Iraq Survey Group, as well as
>>>>>>the United Nation's own team (their name escapes me) both scoured Iraq
>>>>>>for WMD's and neither found a trace.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>How is this 'totally ignoring any intelligence that supports this assertion'?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>And, what 'intelligence' can you provide that supports your own assertion
>>>>>>that Iraq moved these weapons?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I disagree. You can't possibly beleive that Iraq had a stockpile of WMD's
>>>>>>>>that they have completly erased all evidence of?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>We've been in Iraq for 2 years now, and no one has found so much as 1 illegal
>>>>>>>>weapon. Not a trace.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>The lack of evidence speaks volumns.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>It's not only possible for me to believe they removed them during the six months they had, it is what I believe. You are totally ignoring any intelligence that supports this assertion. I've posted several citations - read them.