MoD denies manipulating media

Nearly 20 journalists have died reporting in Iraq

The MoD has denied misleading the public over the media's coverage of the war in Iraq.

The Defence Committee's inquiry 'Lessons of Iraq' heard evidence from military bosses in charge of press and media operations.

MPs were keen to ask the officials about the issue of 'perception management' as the US military defends itself against charges of manipulating facts.

The apparent distortion of real events surrounding the rescue of US Private Jessica Lynch has been a case in point.

But Tony Pawson, Director General of Corporate Communications at the MoD, stood by his department's method for working with the media:

"The approach we adopted was consistent with our doctrine," he said.

"It's more important to be accurate and credible than it is to have a line."

Not what things seem

No-nonsense Conservative MP James Cran questioned what the MoD had to say about certain news reports which had turned out to be completely wrong or at least premature.

Why, for instance, had uprisings been announced in Basra that had not actually happened, he wondered.

And why had Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon told the Commons of the fall of Umm Qasr before it even happened?

"Everything is not always just what it seems to be at first sight," Mr Pawson said.

He continued: "We did not get it right 100% of the time but equally if you look at the broad portrayal of what was happening in Iraq I think the broad picture was successful."

In fact, the MoD's tone at the committee suggested that whereas their information had generally been accurate and consistent, it was the way broadcasters had used the information that perhaps deserved a little criticism.

They felt that reports had tended to rely on embedded reporters and less on the official briefings that were available to journalists at command centres in the Gulf.

Large numbers of 'embeds' were able to provide a degree of 'live' access and pictures to events so broadcasters relied less on military briefings.

This principle is supported by a recently published BBC-commissioned report.

'Blind comment'

The report looked at war coverage in the UK and US, and on the Arab news channel Al Jazeera, including the system of embedding reporters with fighting units.

It suggested there were some weaknesses in the media coverage, but overall gave a positive assessment.

Perhaps this is what irked MP James Cran, who said he was 'surprised' at the MoD's satisfaction.

In his view the embedded reports had "lacked context" and gave "blind comment".

Senior managers at BBC News have also expressed concern that war reportage was "sanitised" and there had been too great a reluctance to show the full horror of war.

You can watch the Defence Committee session on BBC Parliament on Sunday 16 November at 2120 GMT