Watching "Buying the War"
"Buying the War," which was produced by Bill Moyers (a long time journalist and media critic) is about the way the news media failed the American public during the lead-up to the Iraq war in 2002.
Though it is easy to get distracted by the Bush administration's misleading of the press, the story is really about the failure of the press itself to fulfill its proper role as a "watchdog."
While you're watching the film, make sure to take notes about any of the details that seem most relevant to you, and your assignment is to write a brief response to the film -- your assignment should be at least 300 words long.
Some questions that you may want to consider in your assignment are:
• How does this make you feel about the trustworthiness of the news media?
• What does this mean to our democracy? (Remember that one of the components of democracy is a trustworthy free press).
• What is the public's responsibility in demanding reliable news coverage of important events?
https://vimeo.com/33033186