Staci Reidinger, APR(M) MBA’s Post

War is hell. I wish the mainstream media would tell us stories like Battle and Beers: War Stories. This alternative reporting is another reason I believe citizen journalism is becoming the most trusted source of information. It’s hard for me to reconcile our never-ending wars with coverage like this video. I know it’s a tough watch, but thank God somebody is getting us these stories. The creator is a former U.S. Marine. I have found his storytelling gripping and raw, and I wonder if every American consumed his content, would they continue to support the West’s funding of so much war? Would seeing people die on video or reading their gut-wrenching stories change a thing? Maybe, maybe not. However, I feel it’s a question worth pondering and a discussion worth having. We won’t have these conversations without accurate and transparent reporting of life on the front lines. #CreatorEconomy #WarCorrespondent

This video discusses how the government has hidden its never-ending wars in the 21st century from the American people. With the advent of the Global War on Terror in 2001, there was plenty of reporting about American boots on the ground. But, the American public turned against the war within 3 years. So, as the century progressed, America moved toward air power to fight its wars (and maintain its dominance around the world). This hid what was happening from reporters. When independent journalists said they felt they were not being given full information and wanted more balanced reporting on the wars, they found that top officials would no longer give them the things they so professionally needed: interviews and scoops. So, increasingly, reports took on narratives that the government liked. Most importantly, these narratives made war invisible to the American people - exactly what the government wanted. https://lnkd.in/gZ9Xi6_G

📺 The media is a powerful tool during war – it can control the narrative and influence how people perceive conflicts. What role does propaganda play? 🤔 Controlling the narrative – Media often presents events in line with government interests. Demonizing the enemy – Propaganda portrays the enemy as a threat, increasing support for war efforts. Heroes and victims – The media often simplifies conflicts by creating clear “good” and “bad” sides. Censorship – Many countries restrict information to avoid weakening public morale. War as a spectacle – Modern media often dramatizes conflicts, turning them into a spectacle. Misinformation on social media – The internet fosters the spread of false information, fueling tensions. Role of independent journalists – They strive to show a fuller picture of war, often at great personal risk. 📰 War is not just fought on the battlefield, but also for the minds of people. https://lnkd.in/ded9F_z4

DEAR ESSENTIAL AMERICAN CITIZEN, Before reading my inputs below, please see the background of our coups in Ukraine, which violate our supposed values that posit the value of Self-Determination. https://lnkd.in/eVYjgAi6 By Lt Col (ret) Tom Raquer, USAF, Southeast Asia Foreign Area Officer If you’re still fooled into believing that we’re in Ukraine to support its sovereignty or defend a budding democracy, think again. We’re involved because Russia is pushing back against our relentless quest for global primacy. This isn’t just Russia; it’s China, Southeast Asia, and the Global South that are rising up against our attempts to impose our will on their nations. They’re fighting for their nationalism, rooted in their own civilizations. We cannot remake other civilizations. Just look at the disasters in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen. When are we going to kick the liberal hegemonists out of their post-Cold War delusions? Who will decide for us, the American Citizen, when we will have peace or war. Our DECISION: VIA VOTE TO WAR OR NOT TO WAR CAST BY OUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES. DONE OUTSIDE OUR CONSTITUTION, WAR IS ILLEGAL, IMMORAL, AND CRIMINAL. Their folly has cost us over $8 trillion in debt, hundreds of thousands of lives, and millions of displaced people around the globe. Our actions have now spread food insecurity to 70 million poor individuals in the Global South—all thanks to our misguided Ukraine war. We are no longer the liberators or protectors of our American Constitutional Republic. The oligarchs controlling our foreign and defense policy are a threat to the very existence of our Republic. Once a shining city on a hill, America is now an international pariah—no one wants us meddling in their affairs.

When will western media stop parroting Israel’s narratives in their newsrooms? Nearly everything their spokespersons and leaders say is steeped in deception. It’s military propaganda—designed to rally their soldiers, shore up public support, and spread fear among those in the crosshairs. Yet the world keeps believing. Believing the stories of “destroyed command centers” and “neutralized rocket sites.” Believing those who silence journalists, only to label them militants. Believing the claims that civilians were directed to shelter in schools, then bombing those same schools, calling them legitimate targets—alleged war rooms for fighters. And when refugee shelters are struck, it’s labeled a hidden base; hospitals raided, only to have the lies unravel later. But still, the liars are believed, and their narratives pushed forward. The victims, questioned, their stories framed with quotation marks—always a shade of doubt. A shame. A deep shame. The media as mouthpieces for war criminals, all while insisting they are upholding journalism.

Journalism at its best.

🤯 ABC made a 'documentary' from 'The Russian Side' Imagine broadcasting 'The 𝐍𝐚𝐳𝐢 point of view' during WW2. Same thing. 🎤 "We're not monsters, we're humans." says a russian soldier carrying a modern-day 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐤𝐚 on his vest, "We're trying to defend our motherland." Wrong. Russians are 𝐧𝐨𝐭 defending their country, they are attacking and invading neighboring #Ukraine - and 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 men, women and children in the process. 🙄 But ABC doesn't bother to mention that.  They're just humanizing monsters. 🚨 Shame on you, ABC News, for airing and supporting Moscow's false narratives justifying a 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐥 invasion. Imagine a western reporter during WW2 interviewing SS soldiers in occupied #Europe - trying to portray the 𝐍𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐬 as the victims, even as they're making the 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭 happen,   And calling the documentary 'the Other Side' This is basically what Journeyman Pictures is doing. And they're using #Australia taxpayer money to do it. ☝️ There's humanizing victims on both sides after a war,  Like we do to the victims of WW2 today, ❗ And then there's 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 war crimes 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 a war, Even as the invaders actively commit those crimes, Enabling them to keep on 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. The two are not the same. #Journalism #Ethics #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦

In today’s Jerusalem Post editorial, we explore the growing double standards faced by journalists when addressing Israel. Recently, CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil challenged author Ta-Nehisi Coates on his portrayal of Israel in his new book, questioning the omission of key historical context such as the country’s fight against terrorism and the surrounding threats it faces. Despite raising legitimate points, Dokoupil was reprimanded by CBS for what should have been seen as professional journalistic rigor. In today’s media landscape, defending Israel has become a risky endeavor. As the editorial emphasizes, it now requires more courage to stand up for Israel than to criticize it. This imbalance is something the public should be aware of and challenge. #Journalism #MediaBias #Israel #CBS #FreePress

Our whole life, we have been told, BIG LIES!!! In The War You Don’t See, John Pilger exposes how media sanitizes war, shaping public perception through propaganda. This manipulation is glaring when it comes to the portrayal of #Lebanon and Palest!n!ans today. Their struggles, born from decades of occupation and violence, are reduced to soundbites that cast them as aggressors, while the human stories—families in refugee camps, the devastation of military strikes—are overshadowed or ignored. What’s more, Isrel is often portrayed as the victim in this narrative. Western Media outlets frequently emphasize Isrel’s right to defend itself, while downplaying the systemic violence it inflicts on Palest!n!ans and neighboring regions. The broader context of occupation, settlements, and the humanitarian crisis in G@za is often omitted, shifting public perception to view Isrel as under constant threat rather than as a powerful state imposing ongoing oppression. This skewed portrayal fuels a dangerous simplification, casting Isrel as a victim, while obscuring its role in perpetuating conflict. Like #JohnPilger’s critique of past wars, today's reporting on Lebanon and Palest!ne follows a harmful pattern: the oppressed are framed as perpetrators, and the true causes of conflict are buried under selective reporting and sensationalism. The question Pilger asks—"how many lies were told to justify war, and how many stories went untold?"—echoes profoundly here. It’s a call to demand more from the media: journalism that digs deeper and refuses to simplify the complexities of these conflicts. As global citizens and professionals, we must challenge the manipulation that paints one side as purely defensive while obscuring the systemic realities faced by the other. We wouldn't accept this trash in our work places so why do turn a blind eye and close our minds outside of work? We need honest, transparent reporting that prioritizes truth, fostering empathy and accountability. Only then can we break the cycle of misinformation that fuels conflict. Because ultimately, the war you don’t see—or the one you don’t fully understand—is the one that continues to destroy lives, unnoticed. The War You Don't See... by Pulitzer, late John Pilger. (Full documentary) https://lnkd.in/eDZ8M7CY