Hollywood's role in propaganda war
Duncan Campbell, Guardian News Service, Los Angeles
Some of the most powerful figures in the entertainment industry will assemble for a "war summit" in Beverly Hills on Sunday to discuss ways of assisting the White House in getting its message across to the world.
Around 40 senior show business executives will look at everything from possible plot lines in films to morale-boosting public service announcements as ways of winning the propaganda war.
Karl Rove, George Bush's senior adviser and the man widely credited with masterminding his presidential campaign, will meet senior figures in the film and television industries at a private gathering in a Beverly Hills hotel.
Invitations signed by Jack Valenti, chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, have been sent to senior media figures such as Rupert Murdoch and Sumner Redstone. A key figure in arranging the summit was Gerald Parsky, who ran the Bush campaign in California. Valenti's co-hosts will be Sherry Lansing of Paramount studios and Jonathan Dolgen, chairman of Viacom Entertainment group.
The White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Rove would brief executives from DreamWorks, cable TV channel HBO, Showtime, and other companies about the themes the government is emphasizing, including "tolerance, courage, and patriotism".
He said that one way Hollywood could assist might be through public service announcements such as those used to warn children of the dangers of drugs or to stop drunk driving. There would be no attempt to impose storylines on film-makers. "It's important to hear what Hollywood has on its mind. These are judgments that Hollywood makes. These are their movies. These are their TV shows."
Valenti said: "I heartily endorse Hollywood getting involved to help out in any way we can in this war." He said that if a storyline was good, it was appropriate to make movies that would "show the heroism of American armed forces".
The move follows growing concern that the U.S. is losing the propaganda war in Asia and the Middle East and that support for the bombing campaign is starting to slip in Europe.