The pen and the sword

the long version

The Pen and the Sword is the only comprehensive examination of how the media have covered the 21st Century's main news story: terrorism and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is the full story, from 9/11 to the Obama doctrine, and including: The war in Afghanistan: There were two sides to this story, but the press told only one, and the untold story would return to haunt us; The campaign for war in Iraq: What did the press know and when did they know it about the web of lies that led us into war?; Iraq, from invasion to Mission Accomplished: When the story of war is told as patriotic hymn, Playstation game, or melodrama of macho heroes and bad guys dressed in black, important things are left out; Aftermath, from Mission Accomplished to the present: Something has changed since the Vietnam War, when the press finally found its critical voice. However, the 21st Century media continue to cling to an untenable, pro-war story, even after the public has abandoned it. This book uses this tragic and eye-opening case study of the news at war to ask, Why? and to offer a critical perspective on our mass media, including the latest information on the underpinnings of the news business-corporate ownership, the power of elites to define the news-and adds three important new features of the media landscape: The media profit crisis of the late '00s and how it is affecting the news; The creation and mainstreaming of a new right-wing media surround-sound system; and the increasing importance of entertainment media and soft news in shaping our views. -- from Back Cover.