In 2004, a determined group of veterans and POWs used the power of the Internet to set the record straight about John Kerry’s false portrait of American veterans as misfits, drug addicts and baby killers.
John Kerry is now history, but the major TV networks, PBS, and the New York Times who played a major part in the demonizing of Vietnam veterans are still hard at work creating their version of history.
This new book "To Set the Record Straight" is an extremely well-documented look at the machinations of Kerry’s media allies during the 2004 Presidential campaign.
In 2004, television networks and newspapers were able to dominate public opinion to an extent that is no longer possible today. What the media covered then was news and what they chose to ignore was not.
In one sense 2004 was a watershed moment for mass media and those organizations failed the test, big time!
The unmasking of Dan Rather by bloggers and the fact-checking of almost every story of significance since then has created a new playing field for the practice of journalism and the final story has not been written.
Swiftboating is exposing the lies, deceit and fraud of self-glorifying public officials or candidates for office who exaggerate their military service by lying about their feats of heroism and combat wounds.
Those who are exposed have other definitions, of course.
The media that supported Kerry and suppressed information that showed him in an unfavorable light is still losing ground because media bias is so clearly visible to an educated and vociferous audience.
If you wish to see how mass media played the disinformation game in 2004, "To Set The Record Straight" will give you hours of fascinating reading. It is a step-by step recounting of how ordinary people can mobilize to reach out to the public and publicize their side of history when it has been deliberately suppressed.
It should be required reading for all candidates for office and for those interested in changing history…