agitation/propaganda

 Once upon a time news organizations were aware of their ability to "yell 'fire!' in a theater" and sow havoc among those attending. It was a serious responsibility, not just because it was caring but also because the news organization's trustworthiness was on the line. Nowadays, it seems acceptable to report what is said or done without reference to past contradictions. Trustworthiness is based now on assertion and repetition ... it must be true because I say it's true and you agree that it's true.

DOESN'T ANY EDITOR READ THIS SHIT???!!!

 

28 min ago By ZEINA KARAM of Associated Press [color added]

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said he was told of the plot by Baghdad, and that it was the work of foreign fighters of the Islamic State group in Iraq. There was no immediate comment from Washington or Paris, and al-Abadi's assertion could not be independently confirmed.
Asked if the attacks were imminent, he said, "I'm not sure." Asked if the attacks had been thwarted, he said, "No." Al-Abadi said the United States had been alerted, and that the suspects included extremists from the United States and France who were fighting for the Islamic State group in Iraq.
"Today, while I'm here I'm receiving accurate reports from Baghdad that there were arrests of a few elements and there were networks from inside Iraq to have attacks ... on metros of Paris and U.S.," al-Abadi said, speaking in English. "They are not Iraqis. Some of them are French, some of them are Americans. But they are in Iraq."
He made the remarks at a meeting with journalists on the sidelines of a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.
The Islamic State extremists' blitz in Iraq and Syria prompted the United States to launch airstrikes in Iraq last month, to aid Kurdish forces who were battling the militants and to protect religious minorities.
In addition to the brutality Islamic State has visited on the people in Iraq and Syria, western leaders have voiced concern that the group would move its terror operations outside the region.
This week, the U.S. and five allied Arab states expanded the aerial campaign into Syria, where the militant group is battling President Bashar Assad's forces as well as Western-backed rebels.

Where there is no verification or plausible logic (what threat does IS pose to the mainland USA, eg. and what proof is adduced?), a little hoo-rah background (likewise unexamined) will suffice.

People laugh at the governmental interference with the media in China or Russia ... but their laughter seems to be ill-informed.

I guess agitation/propaganda pays better and doesn't require as much thinking....

Follow-up story from Reuters.