ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the 20th century history of the creation of supposedly credible sources of information with which powerful, organized groups (like governments or business federations) use to influence and affect public debate. Crucial to this undertaking is to ensure that public awareness of the true nature of this source is deflected or obscured, and that it appears authoritative and unbiased. It then applies this concept to the Western coverage of the Syrian conflict, finding that many supposedly credible sources of information consistently quoted in the Western press were, in fact, created, funded or supported by Western governments precisely to manipulate public opinion by poisoning the debate with dubious information that supports Western policy goals in the region.
