Editing Propaganda model (section)

===Scandals of leaks===
The authors point to biases that are based on only reporting scandals which benefit a section of power, while ignoring scandals that hurt the powerless. The biggest example of this was how the US media greatly covered the [[Watergate Scandal]] but ignored the [[COINTELPRO]] exposures. While the Watergate break-in was a political threat to powerful people ([[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]]), COINTELPRO harmed average citizens and went as far as political [[assassination]]. Other examples include coverage of the [[Iran–Contra affair]] by only focusing on people in power such as [[Oliver North]] but omitting coverage of the civilians killed in [[Nicaragua]] as the result of [[Contras#U.S. military and financial assistance|aid to the Contras]].

In a 2010 interview, Chomsky compared media coverage of the [[Afghan War documents leak|Afghan War Diaries]] and lack of media coverage of a study of [[Fallujah during the Iraq War#Health effects|severe health problems in Fallujah]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHfYtvYRgdk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/WHfYtvYRgdk| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Chomsky on the WikiLeaks' Coverage in the Press|website=[[YouTube]] }}{{cbignore}}</ref> While there was ample coverage of the Afghan War Diaries there was no American coverage of the Fallujah study,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.medialens.org/2010/beyond-hiroshima-the-non-reporting-of-fallujahs-cancer-catastrophe/|title=BEYOND HIROSHIMA - THE NON-REPORTING OF FALLUJAH'S CANCER CATASTROPHE|date=September 7, 2010}}</ref> in which the health situation in Fallujah was described by the British media as "worse than [[Atomic bombing of Hiroshima|Hiroshima]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/toxic-legacy-of-us-assault-on-fallujah-worse-than-hiroshima-2034065.html|title=Toxic legacy of US assault on Fallujah 'worse than Hiroshima'|date=July 24, 2010|website=The Independent}}</ref>