Propoganda and the Iraq War

Prompt: It is acceptable for a government to try and shape public opinion through information campaigns.

The Iraq War was a highly controversial topic within media, where some media outlets were accused of being biased or even a form of propaganda. Different media outlets were reflective of their respective ideologies, based on their own ideas and the interests of their viewers. However during the Iraq war, American media outlets broadcasted information presented by the U.S. military, which was accused of being biased and one sided. Which brings us to the idea of government influence of media portrayal of certain events in order to gain or reinforce support. This is a common occurrence as government attempt to persuade public opinion during events such as war. However this is something that should not be deemed acceptable. Information campaigns usually attempt to communicated information by misrepresenting the other side and omitting information to mislead public. This can include the exclusion of important information that may reveal the nature of the event and cause discontent. In turn, this paints an unfair image of the opposing side, which should not be done by a government as they have strong influence on people. This unbalanced view of events may cause unjust perceptions of certain groups, and to create issues towards them. Governments should portray both sides equally in order to maintain credibility, giving the people a full image. Specifically for the Iraq War, the American government, through their influence on the media, gave the American people a negative portrayal of the Iraqi population. This was done in order to convince the public to accept the war on Iraq, and to enhance the American image. However this created a negative image that was closely associated with American perception of Iraq, and was damaging to their population. Therefore it should not be acceptable for government to shape public opinions, but rather to present both sides and encourage support.