Iraqi PR project

The US often touts freedom of the press as one of the defining factors in an effective democracy. Isn't it good to know that the US is paying millions of dollars to have a PR company in the United States translate favorable articles about the US occupation in Iraq and send them to Iraq? Not a big deal, right? Wrong because the latest evidence shows that the US has paid millions of dollars to get Iraqi newspapers to print these articles, and they have also paid Iraqi journalists to write favorable articles about the United States. The worst part is there is evidence that shows the US tried to cover up its actions--yes, for all those who are thinking it, this is unethical. (This story was broke by both the LA Times and NBC, so if you want to question the validity of my information, look on those websites). This is wrong--these newspapers, supposedly independent, are taking marching orders from the US government. This is not news; this is propaganda, PR. The US government is kept out of our press, or at least its supposed to be. Why is the US government manipulating the "free press" of a democracy it is trying to get off the ground. There are huge questions that must be asked in light of this information. One, why should we have to spin a war that is right?--the answer is if it were right, the US government shouldn't have to spend millions of dollars on PR to try to sell the war. It certainly shouldn't have to spend that much money to convince the people the war has supposedly helped. Two, why does the US get the benefit of a free press in its democracy and the Iraqis get a second rate "bought press?" Three, why does the US say one thing and do another? Four, how much should we be suspect of the information coming from our own press? Has the US bought off the NY Times? NBC? the Plain Dealer? This obviously frustrates me. I already had problems with our objectives in the war to begin with. I am not sold on the idea that the US should be promoting democracy around the world, but if the US is going to promote it, it should not try to undermine one of its major components. A free press is essential in a democracy. The public needs access to information. Now, to tie this to mass media and society. Hopefully it will be obvious, but the news is a major way that mass media affects society. If the news is not accurate, if it is not real, if it is not aware of its power, there are serious ramifications that can take place within a society. So there is my spiel for whatever its worth, I know it doesn't tie into what we are currently dealing with in class, but I believe it is still valuable and certainly blog worthy. The US government is being completely unethical and as Christians maybe we should voice our concerns and try to encourage the government to reform its unethical ways.