Control Room: A Case Study in News Construction
The documentary “Control Room” offers a profound exploration of the multifaceted aspects of the Iraq War, shedding light on the intricate processes of news construction and media bias. It meticulously illustrates how US Central Command (US CENTCOM), US Mainstream News Organizations, and Al Jazeera each played a role in attempting to “control the spin” during the early stages of the Iraq War.
US CENTCOM’s Narrative Control
At the heart of this documentary is the glaring revelation that during the initial phase of the war, major US media outlets refrained from questioning or critiquing the narrative put forth by US CENTCOM. They did not scrutinize the US Government’s motivations for entering the conflict, nor did they press US CENTCOM officers and commanders to clarify the supposed existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) in Iraq (Andruzzi, 2021). The absence of critical scrutiny was equally evident regarding anti-war activists’ perspectives, such as the claim that the Iraq War was primarily about securing oil resources and that American soldiers were being deployed for a war without a clear purpose.
Mainstream US Media’s Amplification of War Messaging
Instead, mainstream US media organizations repetitively published stories that merely described and amplified the frame provided by the US Government, all without offering any substantial critique or criticism. In this initial phase of the war, there was an atmosphere of fear in the media and the public sphere. Challenging the war narrative ran the risk of being labeled as “unpatriotic” or “un-American.”
Only in the years following the invasion and occupation did a significant shift occur (Andruzzi, 2021). As it became evident that the US government had misled the public numerous times, the mainstream media introduced an “alternative framing.” This new perspective focused on the “human cost of war,” including the toll on US soldiers, the failures in nation-building, and the rise of insurgency and ISIS as consequences of flawed US policy.
Al Jazeera’s Reframing and Counter-Narratives
Al Jazeera was the one news organization that stood out in offering this alternative perspective. This “Arab” news outlet positioned itself as “a voice of freedom in the Arab world.” Despite being labeled as a “mouthpiece for terror” by the Bush White House, Al Jazeera courageously presented the “other perspective” by emphasizing the human consequences of war.
Reference
Andruzzi, Z. (2021). The Iraq War: US warfighters and the uncommon valor. Independently Published.