Media Censorship In Iraq Does The Media example essay topic

What is Censorship? Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain individuals, groups or government officials find objectionable or dangerous. (Hawthorne, 1997) Why Use Censorship Censors try to use the power of the state to impose their view of what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on everyone else. Censors pressure public institutions, like the media, to suppress and remove from public access information they judge inappropriate or dangerous, so that no one else has the chance to read or view the material and make up their own minds about it.

The censor wants to prejudge materials for everyone. (Hawthorne, 1997) In regards to the war in Iraq, censorship may be used to misrepresent the real situation by censoring the reality to mislead people, sometimes to make foes look like friends. Media Censorship in Iraq Does the media have a hidden agenda? Why do the media censor what it censors? There are many reasons for this, in an article titled "Murdoch's war on truth in war reporting" (Kingston, 2003). The article covers several aspects of the topic censorship in media in regards to the Iraqi war.

'Murdoch's war on truth in war reporting' (Kingston, 2003) uncovers dirty tricks by Murdoch to win support of the US government. It shows how the government and people with power can exaggerate the truth and make people believe what they want to believe. An example of this power was the article, "KILLING ROOM - Coalition forces reveal Saddam's torture terror", this is from the front page of The Daily Telegraph (Kingston, 2003). The lines within the article contained "The depraved brutality of Saddam's regime was revealed British allies uncovered an enormous charnel house containing the remains of hundreds of Saddam's torture victims" (Kingston, 2003). At first read, this sounds like a terrible thing and that what the Coalition is doing, is for all the right reason until someone from the actual source mentions. ".. it was unclear what the building and its rows of simple coffins was all about. However the remains were old and he showed documents and photographs also found on site, which did not scream out torture chamber but rather respect for the dead" (Kingston, 2003).

This brings about a lot of questions, why did the media publish the story if wasn't factual. Do they have a hidden agenda for publishing such things? Rupert Murdoch's vast newspaper empire has waged a persistent pro-war propaganda before and since the war began. It just so happens that Murdoch wants US government approval to take over DirecTV and further extend his grip on pay TV. (Kingston, 2003). Murdoch said before the war that it would be good for the economy and urged America to get it over with quickly.

He aligns himself openly with American interests, as an American citizen. This could explain why editorially the Murdoch papers here have made little or no mention of what Australia's distinct interests might have been in the war. (Kingston, 2003). It mites also imply, well for the economy as cheap oil. It just goes to show, people with media power can expand their power by associating with politicians Too much Censorship Too much censorship basically implies not enough is been revealed in order to make a non biased judgement on a particular issue or the information being revealed is over exaggerated and the real story is then hidden.

From another article "Don't Censor Wars Horrors", which covers the censored media coverage of the war in Iraq from an American perspective? It discusses how America's media corporations are not able to let the Americans decide whether to look at pictures of dead U.S. soldiers and grasp the reality of war. The article focuses on why footage of dead American soldiers (who may have been executed), were censored by American media and not by Arab media, why it shouldn't be censored, and the effect of the U. S military interests have on the media. (Scotti, 2003). The images of dead U.S. servicemen were more graphic than much of what Hollywood has ever shown. But it didn't stop Al Jazeera.

But on the other hand we have American CNN who showed just a few still frames, however, other major American news outlets declined to air the tape at all. Reasons for this include the fact that media organisations are influenced by the Pentagon and media networks realise that their access and, therefore, ability to compete depend on the cooperation of the Pentagon (Scotti, 2003). On one hand, images such as the dead soldiers might server to booster the already damning case against the rule of Saddam Hussein by on the other, graphic footage might help sway public opinion against the incursion into Iraq. (Scotti, 2003) To little Censorship This article 'Bombardment by War on TV' (Peterson, 2003), explains. how reports from the battlefields are riveting, horrifying, surreal and hardly informative and suggest that less would be better (Peterson, 2003). It explains how. ".. this deadly serious conflict in which real people are being killed and maimed were just another episode of reality TV - Survivor Iraq" (Peterson, 2003). It explains the ironies of Hollywood's complicity, .".. how complicit Hollywood is in the general brutality of our era, given the mindless violence of many of the movies it produces".

A sad example was when Ryan Beau pre died from a helicopter crash. He decided to become a pilot after watching the film Top Gun with Tom Cruise (Peterson, 2003). It explains "the worst pictures of the war's early days were the ones we didn't see", (relating to captured American soldiers shown on Al Jazeera). This explains how gruesome the footage can be. (Peterson, 2003). In the end TV demands powerful, graphic images and they " re coming at us in overwhelming confusing abundance.

(Peterson, 2003) Conclusion In the end, it can be said that the propaganda by the media, works both ways. Why are coalition casualties and POWs more disturbing than Iraqi ones? Are cheering and smiling Iraqi's a real depiction of war? If the media is going to show the truth, then the truth implies show everything. Grief and death should not be exploited for ratings. Finally it can be said that war comes with horrific images and destruction, maybe by not censoring war's horror, the younger generations can foresee the terror and ugliness of going to war, which is a teaching lesson in itself for all people.

Americans must not be coddled if they are to comprehend the world in which they find themselves. Kingston, M. 2003, 'Murdoch's war on truth in war reporting', Sydney Morning Herald, 7 April., p. 20. Peterson, T (2003) Bombarded by War on TV. BusinessWeek Online [Internet] 27th March, 6 (4), pp. 122-3 Available from: [Accessed April 5th, 2003] Scotti, C. 'Don't Censor War's Horror', Business Week Online, vol. 17, no. 2, March 27th 2003 pp. 161-167 Cohn, L. 'Al Jazeera: In an Intense Spotlight', Business Week Online, vol. 16, no. 2, March 26th 2003 pp. 140-143 Hawthorne, Chad (1997) Censorship on the Internet and in Education Online [Internet] Available from: [Accessed June 3rd 2003].