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civilian goods and services...Obviously, citizens will not react to the costs they bear if they are unaware of them. The possibility of driving a wedge between the actual and the publicly perceived costs creates a strong temptation for governments."

It is my contention that censorship and propaganda are merely one means of carrying out this imperative of cost-concealment. The former is used to eliminate potentially revelatory material that might undermine the war effort by revealing hidden costs, while the latter is used to bamboozle citizens "not by logical and persuasive argument but by emotional manipulation".

The truth may be discarded by propagandists when attempting to persuade a nation to enter into a war, as for instance when false British propaganda convinced Americans to abandon neutrality and enter the First World War. Alternatively, truth can be cast aside to persuade the public to 'stay the course' with an ongoing conflict. No doubt, the best current example of the latter is the lie, repeated frequently after the invasion of Iraq, that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. In both cases opinion-molders in society, in order to further their purpose of inciting or maintaining public support for war, sought to distort the way events were reported.

APPLYING THE THEORY: WORLD WAR TWO

The events during World War II conformed to the theoretical framework I have outlined above. First, it was indeed the case that Australian reporters found it difficult to independently verify information and gain access to non-government sources. Early on, the federal executive received sweeping regulatory powers from Parliament under the National Security Regulations that allowed it to designate enemies of the state and strip journalists of the privilege of being allowed access to combat zones and the ministry of information. Journalists were required to register and comply with any relevant directives issued by the military.

The powers of state were such that religious and ethical beliefs of minorities were able to be punished, thus sending a warning to any journalists attempting to undermine the war effort through fact-checking. The Australia First Movement, the Communist Party of Australia, aborigines living on remote mission stations, and at least 1000 conscientious objectors to military service, were prosecuted and either banned, harassed or placed in jail. Moreover, 'Jehovah's Witnesses, whose beliefs forbade them to carry arms

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