PressEthic

In the past few years the delivery of news has changed radically. Also, what is defined as news has changed. Documentaries or agitprops such as "Loose Change" and "Fahrenheit 9/11," though presented as news, are often vehicles of propaganda. Love or hate their message, their power is undeniable, as Moore’s movie grossed over $200 million and was a force in the 2004 election, while "Loose Change" has thousands of hits daily on the Internet. In The New Yorker, Nicholas Lemann’s "Paranoid style: How conspiracy theories become news," examines the power these films project and how their wild theories seep into mainstream media.

"There is a complex ecosystem of discussion of the hidden forces now at play in world affairs. Much of it originates outside the confines of conventional journalism but make itself known inside, often via denial and refutations that can’t help but purvey the underlying theory," writes Lemann.

The conspiracy theory of levees being dynamited in the Lower 9 during Hurricane Katrina is a prime example. Though not single shred of evidence suggests that foul play destroyed the Industrial Canal, rumors still swirl in New Orleans that powerful white forces flooded the poor black neighborhood to save their white enclaves. The only time that a levee was dynamited was during the '27 flood. From this, rumors have remained alive due to a history of racial injustice. But as perfect as it is as conspiracy, there is no proof. None.

What has kept the myth alive? Spike Lee’s "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts" stoked the flames. Promoting the documentary, Lee recklessly said, "Look, we got a bunch of poor black people here [in the Ninth Ward] .We got to save these other neighborhoods. What we got to do? Dump this [water] in this ward. BOOM! I believe it."

Even before Lee’s documentary, forensic engineers examined the levee and found nothing to support Lee’s claim. Never mind that many wealthy white neighborhoods where also destroyed in the flood, as well wealthy black ones. Yet the theory is prominent in the film.

Since the media reports on the film and Lee, thereby the conspiracy injects itself into the psyche of America, becoming part of the dialogue and quantifying the conspiracy.

The question is what a reporter should do when confronted with this dilemma. Do they stay a mouthpiece for propaganda or do they turn away? I would hope through thoughtful research they would turn away, but in era of instant gratification, it is unlikely.