ABSTRACT
At the end of December 2006, Thom Shanker wrote a frontpage article in the New York Times, detailing the decision to send US aircraft carrier groups to the Persian Gulf. Some reporters might question the country's leadership when policies go very poorly, but few question the underlying assumptions of empire. Politicians, military leaders, business tycoons, and the media all agree that Britain has a splendid empire. The corporate owners call the publisher, who calls the senior editors. In subtle and not so subtle ways, owners make clear their media enterprises should avoid certain topics. In press briefings and speeches, the United States alleged that Iran was supplying mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and other small arms to certain Iraqi militia groups targeting Americans. An editor can always demand more reporting, raising the journalistic bar to impossible heights. By contrast, stories reflecting the Washington consensus can be published with the bar at knee level.
