Media body condemns US 'stooge journalism'

BRUSSELS: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Monday said US military efforts to plant sympathetic articles in Iraqi newspapers "make a mockery" of US commitments to free expression.

"The US is operating a cynical campaign of double standards," said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. "All the work that is being carried out in Iraq and in the region in support of press freedom is compromised by this media manipulation."

"It is manipulating media with stories by stooge journalists which tell lies and distort the reality facing millions of people in Iraq," White said.

The US military said on Friday that it will take a close look at the programme, following a Los Angeles Times report that it has been covertly planting stories in the Iraqi media that, while factual, gave a slanted, positive view of conditions in Iraq.

According to the Los Angeles Times, articles written by US military "information operations" troops, are translated into Arabic and placed in Baghdad newspapers in order to boost the image of the American operation in the country.

The stories are presented as unbiased news reports from independent journalists and present a one-sided view of events, omitting all information that reflects badly on the US or Iraqi authorities.

US military officials said articles were meant to "get the truth out there" and had been offered and published in Iraqi newspapers "as a function of buying advertising and opinion/editorial space, as is customary in Iraq."

The stories often praise US and Iraqi military efforts, denounce terrorism and promote the country's reconstruction efforts, according LA Times report.

Source: China Daily