How the war was sold is the topic of Bill Moyer's first Journal. It is also the subject of Frank Rich's book, The Greatest Story Ever Sold (a wonderful book that hasn't gotten its due in my opinion). We would have never gone to war if the president, the vice president and WHIG didn't start a coordinated effort to confuse and fake out the public.
In this episode of the Bill Moyers Journal, the journalist looks at the press. He clearly points to some the great reporting that had been overlooked. He also points to some of the pressures that major networks were under. The pressure came from the right. It came from sponsors. It came from the public. The unwritten rule was not to really confront the president. Everyone was expected to be ultra-patriotic. The pressure that came from Fox News must of been unreal. Fox News more than any other network waved the red, white and blue then wrapped themselves in the flag. They were patriotic everyone else was not even close. (The Neocons made Fox their home but I digress.) If you were "unpatriotic" Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity would call you out and highlight you and your network. The Neocons would be calling you out soon after that. They would be followed by the radio noise machine. Soon you were out. Ask Donahue.
The relatively small Knight-Ridder outfit consistently got it right. While the Washington Post and the NY Times got it wrong. Moyers does a very good job at pointing this out.
This is a GREAT initial episode. I will be posting it in 5 parts. Here are the first 2 parts.
via Where Is The Outrage? http://whereistheoutrage.net/media/bill-moyers-the-press/
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