High-Priced Media Campaign That Iraqis Aren't Buying-Many in Baghdad Dismiss Effort as US Propaganda

[kpete]

Source: Washington Post

A High-Priced Media Campaign That Iraqis Aren't Buying
Many in Baghdad Dismiss Effort as U.S. Propaganda

By Ernesto Londoño
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, June 7, 2009

A billboard in Baghdad produced by the Future Iraq Assembly, whose Web site lists no members, declares: "Iraq's future is for those who believe in it." (Ernesto Londono - The Washington Post)

BAGHDAD -- The pages of Baghdad Now, an Arabic-language newspaper, portray a country on the upswing.

Iraqi soldiers and policemen are proud, capable civil servants who take weapons off the streets and doggedly pursue criminals. Iraqis of all sectarian backgrounds work in unison. The Iraqi government delivers.

The paper's editorials hail democracy. Fashion pages chronicle the latest fads in Beirut and Kuwait. There's little news of the more than 130,000 American troops who remain in the country.

That the paper has no publicly known editor, no bylines and no ads is no mistake. It is part of America's huge psychological warfare campaign to influence Iraqis' behavior and attitudes.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/06/AR2009060602144.html?hpid=artslot

[ananda]

1. You know what this pr campaign sounds like?

Propaganda for Americans....

[ohio2007]

2. You would prefer a real PR campaign blitz but

he can't afford to pay for face time on billboards


http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1897120,00.html


until bigger fish are fried this month


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090607/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_lebanon_elections

[PSPS]

3. Odd title. "Many in Baghdad Dismiss Effort as US Propaganda" yet the article states that it is.

That the paper has no publicly known editor, no bylines and no ads is no mistake. It is part of America's huge psychological warfare campaign to influence Iraqis' behavior and attitudes.

So what's the story here? That Iraqis can smell propaganda in their media far better than americans can in theirs?

[Downwinder]

4. Still putting lipstick on a pig.

The same money and effort put into the infrastructure would achieve better results.