The act of war has been taking place for thousands of years. Over these years the goal has always remained the same; to win. To achieve victory one use to have to be the biggest, strongest, and most powerful. The rule has been that the country with the most fire power generally is the most successful. Now while this is still usually the case, there is a relatively new weapon that has begun to level the playing field. It is a weapon that most all countries have access to and can affect millions in minutes. It is a weapon that can moralize, enlighten, destroy, and confuse a nation. It is a weapon of the people. This powerful weapon is TV news; one of the leading tools in warfare today.
Control Room is a film that captures the role of the media and TV news in the art of modern war. The film focuses on the Al Jazeera news network, the most popular and controversial news network in the Middle East. The documentary showcases the influence and usage of propaganda, both U.S. and Arab, in the Iraqi War. The film does this by interviewing Al Jazeera reporters and staff. Interviews with U.S. soldiers also make their way into the movie. Two sides to the story are always presented, often with argument. Some of the most interesting parts of the film are when an Al Jazeera reporter and a U. S. soldier discuss propaganda aspects of the war. Both have solid arguments and valid points. Their discussions reveal the fact that propaganda is not secret and it isn't something that the media and military is in denial about. In fact the film acknowledges that much of the war is fought through the TV using propaganda.
Some of the most compelling images in the film are of the Iraqi people. Images of women and children crying, bleeding, and cursing the U.S. leave a lasting impact. Are these images real? Or were they created or misused to stir up certain emotions in the Arab world? These are the kinds of questions that Control Room has you asking. The film also examines American propaganda, such as in the event of Saddam's statue being torn down. Everyone has seen the footage of one of Saddam's giant statues being torn down by the Iraqi people and an American flag being raised. Were all those young guys just sitting around in the square at that certain moment carrying a U.S flag? Or did the U.S. army plant them there and give them an American flag to fly? Either way, what the world saw were images of the Iraqi people tearing down the statue of their leader. They were images that created a sense of victory for the United States.
It is the images of war that are so powerful, emotional, and disturbing. But it is also the images of war that we need to be leery of. People tend to think pictures and videos equal proof and it's these beliefs that the TV news stations are counting on. Control Room brings this to our attention. Straight from the mouths of the reporters and soldiers come the details and levels of the propaganda. The reasons behind certain images and footage becomes clear. Millions of Arabs throughout the Middle East watch Al Jazeera, believe in it, and trust it. The power it holds is incredible.
"They are trying to manage the news in an unmanageable situation", is one of the most captivating quotes of the movie and is spoken by a fed up Al Jazeera news reporter. This quote sums up the message of Control Room. The TV news is no longer just reporting the news, they are managing it. News no longer just happens, it is created. This is a growing concern, and one that David Perlmutter writes about in his essay entitled "Living-Room Wars". Perlmutter comments on how wars are now fought on large part by the media and on TV. The misconception that we are getting the straight and true facts when we watch the news is huge problem. Viewers hold a false perception of how informed they are. When viewers see footage of something they tend to believe that the footage they are seeing is the same as what they are being told it is. Perlmutter discusses how this isn't always the case and certain footage is often chosen to entice certain emotions. Control Room gives us a sense of how strong these emotions can be and the levels of propaganda that can accompany them. It is a movie that makes you think about modern war and how much of what you know about it is actually true.
Control Room is a film that captures the role of the media and TV news in the art of modern war. The film focuses on the Al Jazeera news network, the most popular and controversial news network in the Middle East. The documentary showcases the influence and usage of propaganda, both U.S. and Arab, in the Iraqi War. The film does this by interviewing Al Jazeera reporters and staff. Interviews with U.S. soldiers also make their way into the movie. Two sides to the story are always presented, often with argument. Some of the most interesting parts of the film are when an Al Jazeera reporter and a U. S. soldier discuss propaganda aspects of the war. Both have solid arguments and valid points. Their discussions reveal the fact that propaganda is not secret and it isn't something that the media and military is in denial about. In fact the film acknowledges that much of the war is fought through the TV using propaganda.
Some of the most compelling images in the film are of the Iraqi people. Images of women and children crying, bleeding, and cursing the U.S. leave a lasting impact. Are these images real? Or were they created or misused to stir up certain emotions in the Arab world? These are the kinds of questions that Control Room has you asking. The film also examines American propaganda, such as in the event of Saddam's statue being torn down. Everyone has seen the footage of one of Saddam's giant statues being torn down by the Iraqi people and an American flag being raised. Were all those young guys just sitting around in the square at that certain moment carrying a U.S flag? Or did the U.S. army plant them there and give them an American flag to fly? Either way, what the world saw were images of the Iraqi people tearing down the statue of their leader. They were images that created a sense of victory for the United States.
It is the images of war that are so powerful, emotional, and disturbing. But it is also the images of war that we need to be leery of. People tend to think pictures and videos equal proof and it's these beliefs that the TV news stations are counting on. Control Room brings this to our attention. Straight from the mouths of the reporters and soldiers come the details and levels of the propaganda. The reasons behind certain images and footage becomes clear. Millions of Arabs throughout the Middle East watch Al Jazeera, believe in it, and trust it. The power it holds is incredible.
"They are trying to manage the news in an unmanageable situation", is one of the most captivating quotes of the movie and is spoken by a fed up Al Jazeera news reporter. This quote sums up the message of Control Room. The TV news is no longer just reporting the news, they are managing it. News no longer just happens, it is created. This is a growing concern, and one that David Perlmutter writes about in his essay entitled "Living-Room Wars". Perlmutter comments on how wars are now fought on large part by the media and on TV. The misconception that we are getting the straight and true facts when we watch the news is huge problem. Viewers hold a false perception of how informed they are. When viewers see footage of something they tend to believe that the footage they are seeing is the same as what they are being told it is. Perlmutter discusses how this isn't always the case and certain footage is often chosen to entice certain emotions. Control Room gives us a sense of how strong these emotions can be and the levels of propaganda that can accompany them. It is a movie that makes you think about modern war and how much of what you know about it is actually true.