'Message Force Multiplier' Scandal: Networks Assailed For 'Deafening Silence'

Michael Calderone and Avi Zenilman run down the ongoing effort to get network and cable news outlets to come clean on their use of "message force multipliers" - government employees who presented themselves as "retired" military analysts who have been dedicated and dutiful pimps of the White House diktat on the Iraq War.

In the face of what these Politico reporters capture as a "deafening silence," Democratic Reps Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and John Dingell (D-MI) have been joined by Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Kerry (D-MA), as well as FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps, in calling for an accounting. DeLauro sent letters to executives at the networks named in the original New York Times storybreaker, to which only CNN and ABC have responded.

Calderone and Zenilman capture the networks in what amounts to a "blackout" of this story:

"We are in a time when stories can have a second life," said Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. A few years ago, if a story did not generate attention after a week, it could be considered dead, said Rosenstiel, who cited the instance of how bloggers revived the U.S. attorney firings story.

Rosenstiel's organization tracked the mainstream media for a week after the Times story and found that out of approximately 1,300 news stories, only two touched on the Pentagon analysts scoop -- both airing on PBS's "NewsHour."

Besides being "an important story," "NewsHour" executive producer Linda Winslow said that following up was necessary because of remaining concerns about information the public was given during the run-up to the Iraq war.

None of the analysts in the Times story appeared on "NewsHour," according to Winslow, but as Barstow reported, they did appear on NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and CNN.

Andrew Tyndall, an independent television analyst who monitors the nightly newscasts, said the broadcast networks rarely do "self-criticism stories." However, he added, "this is really the sort of thing that all of the networks should have addressed online."

The piece makes mention of the weak-kneed attempt made by NBC's Brian Williams to walk back the story. Williams received some furious pushback from Glenn Greenwald and Dan Kennedy, and the whole matter took on a different resonance entirely after MSNBC's Chris Matthews admitted that his bosses were, in his words, "basically pro-war during the war."

Of course, as we've documented here, the New York Times themselves have hardly been robust at following this story, but there are clear opportunities emerging now for this news to become amplified, even beyond the efforts of Congress. Yesterday, the Department of Defense did a made a plethora of documents related to the "message force multiplier" program available to the public. MediaMatters has already highlighted an audio exchange between then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and "several military media analysts":

...One of the documents released is an audio recording of an April 18, 2006, meeting that several military analysts attended with then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Peter Pace, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During the meeting, one of the attendees tells Rumsfeld, "[W]e get beat up on television sometimes when we go on and we are debating" and says that he would "personally love" for Rumsfeld "to take the offensive, to just go out there and just crush these people so that when we go on, we're -- forgive me -- we're parroting, but it's what has to be said. It's what we believe in, or we would not be saying it." The individual adds: "And we'd love to be following our leader, as indeed you are. You are the leader. You are our guy."

The relevant transcript is available here, along with a list of "confirmed participants." MediaMatters asks the obvious question: "Will media outlets try to determine if they have hosted the person who asserted that Rumsfeld was 'our guy' and suggested that he would 'parrot[]' Rumsfeld's statements?"

Comments

[brently]

After the media was forced into silence about the truth behind 9/11, they forgot how to do their jobs. Or they forgot what their jobs were. Either way, we no longer have a media with the balls to stand up to a government out of control.

[uhappytoo]

The media's courage has nothing to do with what they report. It's all about the entertainment factor and ratings. But you are right about the media relinquishing any and all claims to their purported "Fourth Estate" boasts. But the beginnings of that were long before 9/11.

[Tommygun264]

Tim Russert actually let a kernel of truth slip out the other day during an on-air mutual ego stroke session that was supposed to pass for a substantive discussion with Chris Matthews. Matthews said something about how the Reverend Wright controversy had blocked the media, which he humbly referred to as "the sun", from shedding light on Senator John McSame's political controversies and shortcomings, and Russert (of course) agreed wholeheartedly, adding that once the media was finished relishing the low-hanging fruit of sensationalism of flag lapel pins and renegade ministers, they would finally turn their attention to the stories surrounding John McSame's own bigoted spiritual advisers and all the other stories that they continued to receive so many emails about from viewers who wanted to know why these stories were not being covered. The tiny bit of information that went almost unnoticed in their self-aggrandizing gabfest was that while they might not immediately respond to it, they apparently do pay attention to the content of the emails (and by logical extension, the calls and letters) they receive from viewers.

Call, write, email the mainstream corporate media demanding they cover this story and their own complicity. Keep it up, make it clear that they cannot ignore this story and remain relevant in the public eye. If we can make them understand that their failure to address the issue threatens their livelyhood, these snakes will gladly eat their own tails to pander to the public.

[uhappytoo]

I've heard other media "elites" make this same argument. But it is bogus--or telling--because if the media had reporting a little of both, there would not have been the one-sided onslaught over Wright.

[Fleisch]

Another interesting tidbit that slipped out was when Matthews said the media "could only cover one story at a time"--this being mentioned as an explanation(!) of why so much attention was put on the Rev. Wright "story".

[tj44]

The MSM now has two major strikes....1.) They helped coerce us into the IRAQ debacle, and now # 2.) the covering up of the Bush neo-con effort to put propaganda out supporting the war efforts with party line ex military reporters. Sound familiar....
As Minister of Enlightenment (Propaganda), Goebbels had two main tasks:
-to ensure nobody in Germany could read or see anything that was hostile or damaging to the Nazi Party.
-to ensure that the views of the Nazis were put across in the most persuasive manner possible.
Wake up America.....

[BeSpoke]

As a college student, I had a class that examined Hitler and why he--with all of his obvious shortcomings--could wrest a country from logical thought.

Hitler said that when you lie, to lie BIG and to never--EVER-- qualify yourself and never stray from that lie. That was the essential downfall of Germany--and will be the downfall of America under Republican tutelage.

During the last seven+ years, we can see that the Republicans--especially W.--learned well from Hitler.

[olivia]

Important news like this does not get covered in part because the MSM is obsessed with the latest train wreck: Hillary Clinton.

[condew]

This has got to be illegal, and should cost some career Federal employee his job.

[NoahVail]

What can we do? (Please, do not tell me to stick my head out the window and yell, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!")

[plainsman]

Spit and hope there's no headwind.

[forpeace]

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Only Two News Networks Willing To Explain Their Role In Pentagon Propaganda Program

........... When the American people turn on their TV news, they expect coverage of the Iraq War and military issues to be using analysts without conflicts of interests.

When you put analysts on the air without fully disclosing their business interests, as well as relationships with high-level officials within the government, the public trust is betrayed......

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/08/delauro-cnn-abc/

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[forpeace]

*

How come neither of these so called Media talk about this Embarrassing and Eye Opening news?!

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[plainsman]

I don't see what the MSM has to lose. It's not like they have an integrity. They should cover it, make a quick apology, and then grill the propagandists/lobbyists, as well as the Pentagon.

[imusintheevening]

Guess this organized propaganda

(which of course is also against Federal Law - since Petagon money was illegally involved)

was a little too close to home for the cable "views" channels. Their lack of coverage screams guilt and collusion.

[HopeGirl]

Jason,

The 'media' is to busy to cover that stuff. They are just thankful the Rev Wright stuff has subsided so they can get on to the ceiling to floor 24/7 deep saturation HD coverage of the Bush Wedding.

The bride will wear white.

[hannitizer]

I love your response HG!

[olivia]

How lovely. Will George cry? He gets to attend his daughter's wedding, probably on the same day four marines' fathers get to attend their funerals.

[zigzag1]

All the media is owned by or in the pocket of a few huge multinational corporations whose religion is to destroy any regulation of the way they use our airwaves or of their ability to monopolize everything we see or hear. They must have a Republican administration in power to accomplish this. Any story that threatens the corporate fascists in power will be swept under the rug. It's all bullshit, folks

[hannitizer]

Exactly right zz1!

If only the sheep understood that it is they themselves and the corporate-fascist MSM that keep the use of fear alive and growing. Scared little sheep need the Big Bad Wolf (the "terrist") and those who put self-promotion above honor and integrity (the traitorist former millitary enablers) to cry out again and again to feel good about being so afraid.

It's the national nightmare of this generation. This kind of shameful behavior from those who deceived, those who enabled, and all those sheepish Americans who reelected Bush the liar, must never be forgotten or repeated.

[Bobrobert]

Sad.

No one cares.

Play it again Sam!!!