Propaganda and the Iraq War

"It is acceptable for a government to try to shape public opinion through information campaigns"

During the Iraq war, the political ideologies of different media institutions was clearly shown and became a topic of controversy throughout the war. Based on the cultural and political ideologies of where that specific institution is or who owns it, how the same news will be reported often varies. With that being said, there is a trend and relationship between the political ideologies of the country and the ideologies of the institutions that follow that country. Ever since World War I, it is not uncommon practice for a country to use the media to influence and shape what the targeted audience thinks. For example, during the world wars, Russia would have pro-Russia propaganda and the United States would show Russia as villainous and evil. During the nuclear bombings of Japan, the American people did not feel much remorse for Japan because during the entire war, the media has been setting up Japan to be an evil and antagonistic side. Although morally and ethically, it is wrong and unacceptable for a country to change the publics opinion via information campaigns, it is often something that is done today, especially in big cases like the Iraq War. Usually, the government aims to shape the publics opinion in order to gain the publics support by antagonizing the other side of the conflict, leading the government to be able to easily justify their actions. In the case of the Iraq war, a large majority of Americans believed that the Saddam regime was treacherous and that the Americans were helping the Iraqis achieve freedom. Some believed that the Iraqis were uncivilized. In the case of Jessica Lynch, the public believed that she was kidnapped by the opposing side and that she was mistreated and heroically saved by the American soldiers. Several sources later on revealed that that story might not be the case, some nurses from Iraq even went on to say that they took care of her as their daughter. This caused quite a stir because it could be a classic case of the government trying to twist the truth. The Jessica Lynch story gives the American government two things. Firstly, the Iraqis seem like rebels who are fighting against Americans. Secondly, the American soldiers seem like heroes. This obviously advances the countrys agenda and allows for public support. This whole thing will then distort the publics image of the war- something that America would want but would be detrimental in the long run.