In “Weapons of Mass Deception,” filmmaker Danny Schechter takes a critical look at the media’s role in the Iraq War. With an Emmy-award-winning background in TV journalism and media criticism, Schechter’s film is a thought-provoking analysis of how Pentagon propaganda and media complicity misled the American people while selling the war to the rest of the world.
The film is an exposé of the biggest scandal of our time, shedding light on the lack of coverage on the media’s role in the Iraq War. Schechter compares and contrasts coverage on a global basis, including exclusive material and insider interviews. His use of contrasting footage and interviews from international news sources makes clear that the truth was out there, but the media chose not to report it.
Schechter’s film challenges the viewer to question what they saw in the media during the lead-up to the war, and what was left out. The film is a reminder that in the absence of critical journalism, the media can be used as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Schechter argues that the media is complicit in selling the war, and he offers a serious analysis of their role.
One of the strengths of the film is Schechter’s use of interviews with journalists who were on the ground in Iraq during the war. These interviews offer a first-hand account of what was happening and the pressures that journalists faced in reporting the war. They highlight how the media was often more interested in getting access to the front lines than in telling the truth.
Schechter’s film is an important reminder that the media has a responsibility to the public to report the truth, even if it means challenging the government’s official narrative. It is a sobering analysis of how the media’s failure to do so can have disastrous consequences. In the case of the Iraq War, the consequences were felt not just in the loss of life and destruction of infrastructure, but also in the loss of trust in the media.
Overall, “Weapons of Mass Deception” is a must-watch for anyone interested in the role of the media in shaping public opinion. It is a reminder that we should not take what we see in the media at face value and that critical journalism is essential to holding those in power accountable.
In conclusion, Danny Schechter’s “Weapons of Mass Deception” is a thought-provoking analysis of the media’s role in the Iraq War. Through his use of exclusive footage and interviews, Schechter exposes the biggest scandal of our time and offers a serious analysis of the media’s role in selling the war. The film is a reminder that critical journalism is essential to holding those in power accountable, and that we should never take what we see in the media at face value.