Two excellent reviews of selling war and selling peace. Both are extensively well referenced.
Selling war:
"The Preliminary Stage—during which the country concerned comes to the news, portrayed as a cause for "mounting concern" because of poverty/dictatorship/anarchy;
The Justification Stage—during which big news is produced to lend urgency to the case for armed intervention to bring about a rapid restitution of "normality";
The Implementation Stage—when pooling and censorship provide control of coverage;
The Aftermath—during which normality is portrayed as returning to the region, before it once again drops down the news agenda."
"O’Kane notes "there is always a dead baby story" and it comes at the key point of the Justification Stage—in the form of a story whose apparent urgency brooks no delay—specifically, no time for cool deliberation or negotiating on peace proposals. Human interest stories … are ideal for engendering this atmosphere."
"1. The crisis
The reporting of a crisis which negotiations appear unable to resolve. Politicians, while calling for diplomacy, warn of military retaliation. The media reports this as "We’re on the brink of war", or "War is inevitable", etc.
2. The demonisation of the enemy’s leader
Comparing the leader with Hitler is a good start because of the instant images that Hitler’s name provokes.
3. The demonisation of the enemy as individuals
For example, to suggest the enemy is insane.
4. Atrocities
Even making up stories to whip up and strengthen emotional reactions."
The Mighty Wurlitzer at work: Katherine Graham is quoted: "There are some things the general public does not need to know about and shouldn’t." When you have the owner of WaPo on the side of warmongers, you know who controls the official narrative.
" ...government propaganda prepares its citizens for war so skillfully that it is quite likely that they do not want the truthful, objective and balanced reporting ..."
"a principle familiar to propagandists is that the doctrine to be instilled in the target audience should not be articulated: that would only expose them to reflection, inquiry, and, very likely, ridicule. The proper procedure is to drill them home by constantly presupposing them, so that they become the very condition for discourse." (Chomsky)
"it is far easier to make propaganda at home than abroad."
http://www.globalissues.org/article/157/war-propaganda-and-the-media#PropagandawhenPreparingorJustifyingWarSelling Peace:
"The first task of peace journalism, therefore, must be to map the conflict, identifying all the parties and their goals."
"In resisting the notion that the number of parties to a conflict is reducible to two, peace journalism must seek out different voices "
"peace journalists must seek out truths even when inconvenient to official information sources or the conventional analysis, they must also be ready to expose untruths on all sides"
http://www.globalissues.org/article/534/the-peace-journalism-optionsidd