Welcome to Media Tank's Media & War online Resource Center. This project was born out of the need to provide organizers, activists and citizens with information and tools to help them better understand and navigate the corporate media system and its relationship with war-related industries.

Since 2001 the U.S. has become engaged in two major arenas of war and there have been rumblings about military actions elsewhere in the near future. In times like these we rely, more than ever, on the news media to provide us with accurate, objective and timely information. However, during the lead-up to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq millions who opposed the war felt their interests were severely underrepresented in the mainstream news. As we have subsequently seen, the mainstream news outlets failed to thoroughly investigate the Bush administration's justifications for war.

The apparent shortcomings in war coverage have led many to question whether the media have their own agenda which may prevent them from presenting all sides of stories that concern U.S. military actions. These doubts become compounded when taken alongside the knowledge that the companies that own all of the major U.S. news outlets actively lobby the federal government to loosen limits on media ownership and that many of their board members also sit on the boards of companies in war-related industries.

The aim of this Resource Center is twofold. First, it is designed to help bring to light some of the connections between media companies and the so-called "war machine." The second goal of the project is to provide other resources--articles, websites and links to other organizations and projects--that will help further elucidate the complicated relationship between media and war. What is the role of war-time journalism? How does the military use media to recruit, spin or manipulate? What are the effects of increasing media consolidation on war coverage?

The Conflicts of Interest section takes a critical look at the connections between the major U.S. news organizations and the military industrial complex. Click on each major media company to see the conflicts of interest they have in covering war-related stories.

The Journalism at War section provides links to dozens of articles that explore the complex issues surrounding wartime coverage and the current state of U.S. journalism.

The analysis offered here is not exhaustive nor does it attempt to answer any of these questions conclusively. Our aim is to add to the discourse by providing the public with information and resources so that you can come to your own conclusions.

Much of the information and research for this online Resource Center comes from Media Tank's print resource guide, "Frontlines, Headlines and Bottom Lines." You can download it here as a PDF, or order a hard copy.