Pentagon Propaganda Pushback: As Congress takes action, how will the president and the media respond?

To: Interested Parties
From: J. Jioni Palmer, Media Matters for America
Re: Pentagon Propaganda Pushback: As Congress takes action, how will the president and the media respond?
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2008

**More Details on the Media Matters Exclusive CLICK HERE**

Washington, DC - Media Matters for America today applauds the inclusion of language in the 2009 Defense Authorization Bill responding to criticism of the clandestine relationship among media military analysts, the Pentagon, and the defense industries. The bill was sent on Monday to President Bush, who has not yet taken action.

The legislative language -- sponsored by Rep. Paul Hodes (NH-02) and supported by Reps. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Peter DeFazio (OR-04) and Sens. Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Robert Menendez (NJ), Hillary Clinton (NY), Byron Dorgan (ND), and John Kerry (MA) -- was prompted by an April report in The New York Times. A subsequent analysis by Media Matters documented more than 4,500 appearances of military analysts in the media, many of whom worked for or had clients with companies that have an interest in obtaining Pentagon contracts.

The bill includes the following provisions:

• Prohibits taxpayer money from being used for "publicity or propaganda purposes" by the Department of Defense.
• Requires the Department of Defense Inspector General to investigate the media analysts program and report the findings back to Congress 90 days after the bill is enacted.
• Directs the Comptroller General of the GAO to issue a legal opinion to Congress on whether the media analysts program violated the law within 120 days of enactment.

Since the report was released in April, there has been little if any response from the major broadcast and cable news networks whose analysts were implicated in the reports.

This week, news reports stated that the Federal Communications Commission is notifying several media military analysts that it has begun an inquiry into complaints that the pundits did not properly disclose their ties to the Pentagon while on air.

"By letting these spin merchants -- many of whom have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air -- act as if they're unfettered to any agenda, the networks have demonstrated a clear lapse in credibility," said Media Matters National Press Secretary J. Jioni Palmer. "What little we know about the military analyst programs has raised serious questions, and further scrutiny is certainly needed."

J. Jioni Palmer
National Press Secretary
Media Matters for America
(202) 756-4116 (office)
(202) 580-5814 (cell)