Paper

This paper scrutinizes the use of propaganda and the consequential effects during the Iraq War. It will look at certain specific events such as George W. Bush’s infamous “Mission Accomplished moment, as well as other incidents during the war that may have been a tactic to mislead the American public. This paper will also examine the censorship used by the main news media outlets as to how it affected the perspectives of the public. As one of the only means of getting information about a large war the United States was part of, these news outlets, in any type of media, whether it be newspaper or the television, could tell its audience anything, and they would have to accept it without doubt. By using these examples from the Iraq War the total dominance and power of the media can be seen by their control of information. It is hypothesized that during 2002 before the war, this administration used propaganda and mass media to exaggerate the war on terror creating a nation-wide deception creating an inevitable war with questionable motives.

The Iraq War was a major event considered part of the global war on terrorism. The initial invasion started on March 20, 2003 by the United States. Before the war, the United Nations Security Council questioned Iraq for their alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction. Resolution 1441 was passed which called for Iraq to completely cooperate with UN weapon inspectors. No nuclear weapons were found by the weapons inspectors prior to the war or by anyone after the war. The main controversy that stems from the invasion of Iraq was the reasoning behind it, as it seems very unclear. Some supporters of the war believe it was the nuclear weapons while others accused Iraq President Saddam Hussein of...

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... differences, the media was somewhat forced to act pro-government as the United States does not believe in suicide bombers and other certain beliefs (Rampton 2003).

Media displays can often rebound and are subject to criticism as it plays the very important role of giving information to the general public. This can be a double-edged sword, tricky to use, as the president can use the bully pulpit in such a way to manipulate, yet the general public will only be knowledgeable enough based on the information we are given. Though the initiation of the Iraq War may forever be a controversy and a question in the hearts of Americans, it will always be an uncertainty. As a recent war with the new technology that the media uses, it can be seen how easily propaganda can spread and how information media is one of the most powerful tools of government.