29-01-2011, 12:40 AM
I've long considered that Colby quote to be a boast, a carefully calculated overstatement, by DCIA.
Having spent more than 15 years making films for the BBC, (as MSM as MSM gets), and American MSM such as National Geographic and Discovery, my sense would be that intelligence services own people in key commissioning and editorial positions in all MSM organs, either through direct control or leverage (blackmail).
However, there are many coalface journalists that the intelligence agencies don't own, and so occasionally important work is done within MSM. Usually it is squashed or sanitized prior to transmission -either by company lawyers, intel-owned editorial managers or D-notices (National Security restrictions).
Michael Mann's movie The Insider is an insightful, dramatized, depiction of the way in which Power is exercised within MSM.
Tailwind is a good example of investigative journalism of integrity being squashed by Power.
A journalist such as Robert Fisk, employed by an MSM newspaper - The Independent -is not, in my judgement, owned by any intelligence agency.
However, many iconic "investigative journalists" are clearly owned, starting with Grandaddy Bob Woodward and the lie of "Deep Throat".
Having spent more than 15 years making films for the BBC, (as MSM as MSM gets), and American MSM such as National Geographic and Discovery, my sense would be that intelligence services own people in key commissioning and editorial positions in all MSM organs, either through direct control or leverage (blackmail).
However, there are many coalface journalists that the intelligence agencies don't own, and so occasionally important work is done within MSM. Usually it is squashed or sanitized prior to transmission -either by company lawyers, intel-owned editorial managers or D-notices (National Security restrictions).
Michael Mann's movie The Insider is an insightful, dramatized, depiction of the way in which Power is exercised within MSM.
Tailwind is a good example of investigative journalism of integrity being squashed by Power.
A journalist such as Robert Fisk, employed by an MSM newspaper - The Independent -is not, in my judgement, owned by any intelligence agency.
However, many iconic "investigative journalists" are clearly owned, starting with Grandaddy Bob Woodward and the lie of "Deep Throat".
"It means this War was never political at all, the politics was all theatre, all just to keep the people distracted...."
"Proverbs for Paranoids 4: You hide, They seek."
"They are in Love. Fuck the War."
Gravity's Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon
"Ccollanan Pachacamac ricuy auccacunac yahuarniy hichascancuta."
The last words of the last Inka, Tupac Amaru, led to the gallows by men of god & dogs of war
"Proverbs for Paranoids 4: You hide, They seek."
"They are in Love. Fuck the War."
Gravity's Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon
"Ccollanan Pachacamac ricuy auccacunac yahuarniy hichascancuta."
The last words of the last Inka, Tupac Amaru, led to the gallows by men of god & dogs of war