Do you remember Saddam Hussein's Information Minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf? He was the one that was telling foreign journalists things like: "We have them surrounded in their tanks" on the top of a Baghdad hotel as TV cameras caught American and British tanks rapidly closing in on the city in the background.
Well, it seems Iraq wasn't the only dictatorship to employ an information minister to churn out lies and propaganda.
Zimbabwe's deputy information Minister, Bright Matonga, (I want a name like that too) said today on radio that the reason for Robert Mugabe's poor showing in the polls was because the party had only put in a 25 per cent effort in the campaign leading up to the election.
But never fear, he said, in what is likely to be a run-off election for the president, Mr Matonga said the party would unleash the remaining 75 per cent.
See, now, for me, this raises a few questions. Firstly, that means that the fact the country is experiencing inflation up around 100,000% has nothing to do with the poll results. Secondly, what the hell were the party doing only putting in a quarter effort? Didn't they want to win? And why do they now?
And finally, what would have happened if they'd lost? I guess they wouldn't have wasted quite so much energy campaigning for a lost cause, but still...
I want to be an information minister. I reckon I'd be great at it - I mean, it's not that different from what I do now.
The only difference is I wouldn't be bound by that annoying factor called truth.
9 months ago
5 comments:
I don't understand what's going on over there. They don't like the result they got in the first election so they're going to keep holding them until they get one they do? Did I miss something?
Nope, you didn't miss anything. Everything's going to plan (according to the deputy information minister)
I want a name like Bright Matonga too :)
You know the crazy thing? This week I'm going to a conference for school PR people. Yesterday I was in an ethics seminar. We were talking about when our ethics don't mesh with our employers. I had a lightbulb moment when I realized that I don't have that issue anymore, but it was a big problem when I was a reporter. Like when the ad reps sold ads for strip clubs and put them on the Faith page. But I wasn't allowed to have a problem with it. Strange, now that I'm on the 'dark side' it's way less smarmy. Whodathunkit.
Yeah, truths a pest. But hang on, are all of our newspapers honest? Or is it because they report politicians? - Dave
Good question Dave, and Jess - strip club ads on the faith pages?? Have they no morals?? :)
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