The latest batch of Hilary Clinton emails from her private server have exposed a U.S. government agency attempting to control the media. The email response to a 60 Minutes interview dedicated for the entire program to speaking with Julian Assange in 2011 has now raised the integrity of journalism, freedom of speech, and the issue of “planting…”questions and concerns” with the media.
The unclassified email highlights the attempts to guide narrative for the Assange interview, with the motivation to control what is supposedly to be an independent press. In essence, the government shaped the media coverage of WikiLeaks.
It is unknown if journalist Steve Kroft raised the planted questions, but did ask during the 60 Minute interview if Assange considered himself anti-American and if he deserved to be prosecuted for his operation of WikiLeaks and his potential to “sabotage” governments. During the interview, Assange is asked if he “goes after a person;” Kroft slipping in questions to force Assange to substantiate his actions and motivations. It sounds more like a court session than journalism. “You are screwing with the forces of nature,” says Kroft. “You have made some of the most powerful people in the world your enemies, you had to expect that they might retaliate…”
It is a reminder of Operation Mockingbird, a CIA run operation that commenced at the beginning of the Cold War to influence public opinion by recruiting journalists from the United States. Running for nearly three decades, Operation Mockingbird infiltrated the media, shaped media outlets and constructed public opinion.
Propaganda was clearly a weapon then, it is clearly a weapon now. The email highlights it. Other emails highlight the 2015 agenda. The government attempted to have WikiLeaks redact revelations related to US-Turkey intelligence cooperation against the Kurdish Workers Party (a U.S labeled terrorist organization). Additionally, it has been reported by ShadowProof that the Washington Post was requested to withhold the “regime change” efforts in Syria.
Kroft argues with Assange that the government needs to go after him to stop the endorsement of “small powerful organizations with access to very powerful information releasing it outside their control,” that it encourages publishers to publish “dangerous” information.
Assange argues fervently in the interview. “[His actions] will be encouragement to every other publisher to publish fearlessly…if we’re talking about creating threats to small publishers to stop them publishing, the U.S. has lost its way…it has thrown the first amendment in the bin…because publishers must be free to publish.”
This Article (Operation Mockingbird’s media censorship real, declassified docs reveal) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and AnonHQ.com.
very good article