The Dark Side of Military and Media Cooperation in Entertainment
INTERVIEW ON THE PRICE OF BUSINESS SHOW, MEDIA PARTNER OF THIS SITE.
Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, interviewed David Dozier who is a leading media authority.
Top Gun: Maverick cost Paramount Pictures $152 million to produce. However, the true cost of production is clouded in secrecy; the Department of Defense (DoD) provided “information subsidies” in the form of Navy planes, aircraft carriers, and military bases. Some of these costs were recouped; DoD “rented” F/A-18 Super Hornets fighter jets to Paramount at $11,374 an hour. In exchange, the studio granted the DoD full “veto” power over all film content. DoD staff read the entire script and ordered numerous changes. In the documentary, Theaters of War: How the Pentagon and CIA Took Hollywood, director Roger Stahl showed how DoD manipulation of entertainment content ranges from outright censorship to a “chilling effect” among scriptwriters and studios to mute any criticism of the U.S. military. That is, scriptwriters will automatically avoid any content that they fear might offend DoD (self-censorship). We advocate a “reverse chilling effect” by mandating a policy of total transparency regarding Hollywood/DoD partnerships. The original scripts, all DoD editing suggestions, communications, and studio/DoD contracts should be made available online without requiring Freedom of Information Act requests. DoD-subsidized films and TV programs should open with a “freeze-frame” (similar to the FBI piracy warning on DVDs). That frame should explain DoD’s role in writing and editing the script, as well as DoD’s actual costs (and reimbursements) to produce the content. For access to Theaters of War, see the trailer:
The Price of Business is one of the longest running shows of its kind in the country and is in markets coast to coast. The Host, Kevin Price, is a multi-award winning author, broadcast journalist, and syndicated columnist. He is Editor at Large for this site. Learn more about the show and its digital partners at www.PriceofBusiness.com.
David Dozier (DavidDozierBooks.com) is the author of the novel, The California Killing Field. He is a professor emeritus in the School of Journalism & Media Studies, San Diego State University. He’s an internationally recognized expert on communication management and public relations.
According to USA Business Radio, “David Dozier is a scholar of public relations and communication management, professor emeritus in the School of Journalism & Media Studies at San Diego State University, and author of The California Killing Field. He says fake news has become a phenomenon, political campaigns use the tactic to influence voters, and that it’s perplexing that a conspiracy-based group such as QAnon has gained national attention.
Kevin Price and David Dozier are doing a multi-part series on this important topic that will be on many different platforms, as well as on radio. Keep an eye out for the series throughout the Price of Business Digital Network and USA Business Radio.
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW IN ITS ENTIRETY HERE
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