Reprinted from The Smirking Chimp
According to a new study by Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), the corporate-controlled mainstream media completely failed to present both sides of the story in the build-up to increased US action against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
FAIR found that during the key moments leading up to increased US military intervention, it was nearly impossible to find an antiwar guest on the airwaves.
FAIR's study looked at a number of discussions and news programs between September 7 and September 21 of this year.
Those programs included the major Sunday network news shows, as well as CNN's "Situation Room," Fox News' "Special Report" and MSNBC's "Hardball."
The findings of the study are pretty remarkable.
In total, 205 guests appeared on the programs studied to talk about US military options in Iraq and Syria, but, just six of those guests voiced any type of opposition to US military involvement.
On the major Sunday news shows, 89 guests were on to talk about war. Of those 89, only one, The Nation editor Katrina vanden Heuvel, could be considered an antiwar guest.
Meanwhile, of the pro-war guests that appeared on the shows, it should come as no surprise that a majority of them were military insiders and shills for the US military industrial complex.
Recently, Lee Fang over at The Nation published a piece revealing the truth behind many of the so-called "policy experts" that have been pushing for war on our airwaves.
For example, retired General Jack Keane has been all over the place making the case for war with ISIS.
As Fang points out, Keane is the head of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which is backed by some of the US' most powerful and profitable defense contractors.
Keane is also a special adviser to the defense contractor Academi (formerly Blackwater), and serves on the board of defense contractor General Dynamics.
It's pretty clear which side he's going to take in a debate on military involvement in Iraq and Syria.
So, why is it that the mainstream media is so gung-ho about promoting war and military intervention, and so quick to silence antiwar voices?
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