In The News

Sony Leads Charge to Cash in on Iraq

Julia Day April 10, 2003
Sony has registered the phrase “shock and awe,” used to describe US military tactics at the beginning of the war in Iraq, for a possible computer game. However, the game may not be sold in Britain and Europe if the scenario is set in Iraq owing to the European criticism of the war. Sony registered the name on March 21 one day after the war began. Other companies have also sought to capture patent...

The Images they Choose, and Choose to Ignore

Robert Jensen April 10, 2003
Why are images of Iraqi casualties of the war available to anyone in the world with internet access but not on US television screens? Al Jazeera reporter Robert Jensen asks news networks like CNN why they will not show the whole picture. He also warns that the most popular image of the war – the toppling of Saddam’s statue – should not be taken so literally; “joy over the removal of Hussein does...

Sony Leads Charge to Cash in on Iraq

Julia Day April 10, 2003
Sony has registered the phrase “shock and awe,” used to describe US military tactics at the beginning of the war in Iraq, for a possible computer game. However, the game may not be sold in Britain and Europe if the scenario is set in Iraq owing to the European criticism of the war. Sony registered the name on March 21 one day after the war began. Other companies have also sought to capture patent...

Arab Media Confront the ‘New Rules of the Game’

Jefferson Morley April 9, 2003
As US soldiers become a regular presence in Baghdad, Arab emotions are higher than ever. This Washington Post staff reporter surveys current images and opinions expressed in various Arab media outlets. While the reaction is varied – from surprise at the quick downfall of Baghdad to worries about Iraq’s future after the war to comparing Bush to Hitler – it is united in is skepticism of US actions...

Agency Wages Media Battle

Bob Kemper April 7, 2003
If you think the Bush administration's spokespeople sound just like the US military officials speaking about the war on Iraq, there's a reason. When the Pentagon tried to launch an Office of Strategic Influence last year, the idea was shot down after cries of media manipulation from a broad spectrum of the US public. But since January, the White House has been running a similar...

WHO Says Mainland Officials Continue to Hinder Investigation

Leu Siew Ying April 1, 2003
The World Health Organization says that officials investigating the origin of the devastating pneumonia outbreak in Asia are still being denied permission to travel to southern China's Guangdong province, where the illness is suspected to have originated. With over 800 reported cases in the area – the largest number yet in any WHO member country – international health officials are...

The Arabs Are Watching a Different War on TV

Mamoun Fandy March 31, 2003
Arab television coverage of the war on Iraq is not unlike many US stations: talk shows, press briefings, and video footage. The messages differ, however. On Arab TV, Americans are portrayed as aggressive and barbaric, while Arabs are heroic. Networks like Al-Jazeera and Abu Dhabi TV did not exist at the time of the 1991 Gulf War, whose coverage was dominated by the likes of CNN and the BBC....