This
study by Swiss Propaganda Research was first published in 2016, it is
presented by
off-guardian.org
in English for the first time. Translated by Terje Maloy.
It
is one of the most important aspects of our media system – and yet
hardly known to the public: most of the international news coverage
in Western media is provided by only three global news agencies based
in New York, London and Paris.
The
key role played by these agencies means that Western media often
report on the same topics, even using the same wording. In addition,
governments, military and intelligence services use these global news
agencies as multipliers to spread their messages around the world.
A
study of the Syria war coverage by nine leading European newspapers
clearly illustrates these issues: 78% of all articles were based in
whole or in part on agency reports, yet
0% on investigative research.
Moreover, 82% of all opinion pieces and interviews were in favor of
the US and NATO intervention, while propaganda was attributed
exclusively to the opposite side.
Part
9 - Conclusion: The “First Law of Journalism”
Former
AP journalist Herbert Altschull called it the First Law of
Journalism:
“In
all press systems, the news media are instruments of those who
exercise political and economic power. Newspapers, periodicals, radio
and television stations do not act independently, although they have
the possibility of independent exercise of power.”
In that
sense, it is logical that our traditional media – which are
predominantly financed by advertising or the state – represent the
geopolitical interests of the transatlantic alliance, given that both
the advertising corporations as well as the states themselves are
dependent on the US dominated transatlantic economic and security
architecture.
In
addition, our leading media and their key people are – in the
spirit of Chomsky’s “socialization” – often themselves part
of the networks of the transatlantic elite. Some of the most
important institutions in this regard include the US Council on
Foreign Relations (CFR), the Bilderberg Group, and the Trilateral
Commission (see in-depth study of these networks).
Indeed,
most well-known publications basically may be seen as “establishment
media”. This is because, in the past, the freedom of the press was
rather theoretical, given significant entry barriers such as
broadcasting licenses, frequency slots, requirements for financing
and technical infrastructure, limited sales channels, dependence on
advertising, and other restrictions.
It
was only due to the Internet that Altschull’s First Law has been
broken to some extent. Thus, in recent years a high-quality,
reader-funded journalism has emerged, often outperforming traditional
media in terms of critical reporting. Some of these “alternative”
publications already reach a very large audience, showing that the
“mass” does not have to be a problem for the quality of a media
outlet.
Nevertheless,
up to now the traditional media has been able to attract a solid
majority of online visitors, too. This, in turn, is closely linked to
the hidden role of news agencies, whose up-to-the-minute reports form
the backbone of most news portals.
Will
“political and economic power”, according to Altschull’s Law,
retain control over the news, or will “uncontrolled” news change
the political and economic power structure? The coming years will
show.
Further
info, references, sources:
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