The press is simply not only compliant but more often complicit in cover ups and planted stories and in following the official Governments agenda. The Washington Posts reasons for not naming the countries because of Senior White House Officials request demonstrates the increasing intimidation that the Fourth Estate feels. Reporters who break unwritten rules become what is known in the journalism profession as ’radioactive thus quickly becoming unemployable. From beginning to end its the elite, the corporate agenda, the advertisers and the bottom line which take precedent over full disclosure of important information. The reader is left with what in some organizations is called: ’information on a need to know basis.’ In America vital information is hard to come by. Much of the need to know stuff is extremely hard to get a timely fashion. When the shelf life of an important story and the spin has expired we usually learn a fuller picture but of course much to late to take any meaningful action should we had been so inclined.

Here is one of Neil Postman’s analysis of one media form: "Television is altering the meaning of "being informed" by creating a species of information that might properly be called disinformation...Disinformation does not mean false information. It means misleading information-misplaced, irrelevant, fragmented or superficial information-information- that creates the illusion of knowing something, but which in fact leads one away from knowing"

More television programs are becoming like crack cocaine in that one gets an instant hit, short fast paced sound bites a collage of stock pictures with on the spot accidents and breaking trivia and a mindless emotive addiction can be reached for the habitual viewer where it becomes difficult to distinguish between the advertisement and the ’news’ or ’entertainment’ and the chatter of the program hosts goofing around. For children its a dumbing down experience and especially dangerous if one is interested in developing thinking skills in the young.

Never believe anything until its officially denied .

cheers, jt