Eat The Press

Remember That Company That Planted Good News In Iraq? So Does The Government, Who Hired Them Again

New York Times |  Sourcewatch |  Posted Thursday September 28, 2006 at 07:10 AM

Good work is rewarded! The Lincoln Group, which you may know better as the PR firm that paid Iraqi newspapers to write positive articles about the U.S. military, has just been awarded a two-year, $6.2-million dollar contract to "monitor a number of English and Arabic news outlets and to produce public-relations products like talking points or speeches for American forces in Iraq, officials said Tuesday." From the AP:

The idea, according to contract documents, is to use the information to "build support" in Iraqi, Arab, international and American audiences for what the military describes as its goals in Iraq, such as destroying the insurgency and helping Iraqis build a democracy.

The list of news outlets to be watched includes The New York Times, Fox Television and the satellite channel Al Arabiya.

Last year there was controversy when it was discovered that the Lincoln Group had been planting positive articles about the U.S. military in Iraqi news outlets; after an investigation, no contravention of military policy was found. This contract apparently does not "include any provisions to purchase favorable coverage or pay for favorable articles."

Find more information on the Lincoln Group here.