Stello's Choice

AP CEO Tom Curly said that the Bush Administration turned the U.S. Military into a "propaganda machine."  Read the story here.

Does America need to resort to al-Qaida tactics?" Curley said. "Should the U.S. government be running Web sites that appear to be independent news organizations?" Should the military be planting stories in foreign newspapers? Should the United States be trying to influence public opinion through subterfuge, both here and abroad?"

This AP story tells of other contentions between the press and the U.S. Military.   A reporter issued a story quoting soldiers angered with American politicians, and then:

Within 24 hours the military had expelled him from northern Iraq. He was told he had broken a new rule that embedded reporters could not write while in transit.

The AP also reported that the military has increased spending to $4.7 billion.  Shadow press releases from U.S. funded sources like The Hometown News Service are part and parcel of this public relations campaign.

Other News

Just found out about Citizen Side, a crowdsourced website from the France-Presse Agency offering the opportunity for users to sell images and videos to the press.  Sounds like a venture similar to the partnership between Flickr and Getty Images that will debut later this year.

Another article on the new E-Reader from Plastic Logic.

James Rainey of the LA Times weighs in on the struggle to save newspapers.

Mark Fitzgerald of Editor & Publisher says newspapers should take the pacifier from the baby's mouth and let people see what life would be like without newspapers.

ProPublica launches Shovel Watch, a site tracking the use of funds from the stimulus bill.

Texas legislators are trying to pass a state shield law.