BLOGGERS, JOURNALISTS, AND PROPAGANDISTS. Would somebody please stop the Bush administration from spending millions to fabricate "news" and influence "journalists"? It's soooo annoying!

The latest, according to The Los Angeles Times and other papers, is that the Defense Department has been investing big bucks on making the Iraqi press a propaganda organ.

I admit that I was shocked when I first heard of this but now I'm not sure why I was so surprised. Here's Jamie Wilson's recent Guardian story on the subject, including a great quotation at the end:

Iraqi editors apparently reacted with a mixture of shock and shrugs when told they were targets of a US military psychological operation. The editor of Al Mada, widely considered the most thoughtful and professional of Iraqi newspapers, said if his cash-strapped paper had known the story was from the US government he would have "charged much, much more" [sic]

Meanwhile, back at The Village Voice, Sydney Schanberg writes about the limitations of blogs when it comes to investigative journalism before citing several examples of the real thing.

Regrettably, the Voice's online version of the article doesn't link to any of those exemplary items. So I shall now invoke the dubious power of the blog to refer you to many of the articles that Schanberg considers "superior journalism," starting with a story that James Ridgeway cites in the same Voice issue.

"Key Bush Intelligence Briefing Kept From Hill Panel"
Murray Waas (National Journal, 22 November 2005)

"How U.S. Fell Under the Spell of 'Curveball'"
Bob Drogin and John Goetz (Los Angeles Times, 20 November 2005)

"The Man Who Sold the War: Meet John Rendon, Bush's general in the propaganda war"
James Banford (Rolling Stone, 17 November 2005)

"All the King's Media"
William Greider (The Nation, 21 November 2005)

Schanberg closes his piece by returning to the bewildering "That's accurate" dispute of October 31. More than a month later, the story seems to have nearly faded away without resolution. In the absence of any additional feedback from Bush & Company, it seems that this is a blatant example of the government falsifying records and standing by them despite contrary evidence. I suppose blogs can help to keep the story from disappearing as the investigative journalists move on to other subjects.

Which brings me to a request: I recall someone in the Bush administration (first term) talking frankly about how information would be a tool in the war against terrorism or something like that. I think it was Donald Rumsfeld. But I've had a heck of a tough time tracking down that quotation. If any of you happen to find it (a thorough Nexis search might help), please share the info.

Finally, here's a nod to pro blog Wonkette for a tidy photo essay illustrating the government's domestic propaganda efforts. Are they clumsy, or contemptuous, or both?