NATO recruits Hollywood screenwriters for its propaganda

NATO recruits Hollywood screenwriters for its propaganda

The Atlantic Alliance has been holding private meetings with film and TV screenwriters, directors and producers in Europe and the United States, The Guardian has revealed. Critics openly describe the initiative as an attempt to generate propaganda for the military bloc. Three sessions have already taken place in Los Angeles, Brussels and Paris, and another meeting is scheduled for June in London with members of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain.

The warning from an Irish screenwriter

Irishman Alan O'Gorman, an award winner this year for the film 'Christy', did not mince his words: he called the meeting "scandalous" and "clearly propaganda". He also warned of the risk that creators might be seduced by the sense of privileged access to intelligence or military information presented as truth. The analogy with the Casablanca scene where the games are played at Rick's is no accident: this is an influence operation dressed up as creative collaboration.

An old practice in new clothes

History shows that the entertainment industry has always been close to military power. Films like 'Top Gun' are the paradigm of open collaboration between the Pentagon and Hollywood. But what is being denounced now goes a step further: secret meetings offering exclusive access to classified information in exchange for favorable narratives. Some analysts point out that, although the practice is not new, the difference lies in the open acknowledgment of the propaganda objective.

Reactions and skepticism

Reactions in the industry range from outrage to cynicism. "I'll shoot whatever they want for a bowl of rice," joked one industry technician, reflecting the precariousness that pushes many to accept any job. Others point out that the underlying problem is not the meetings themselves, but that war narratives have become so normalized that it is now considered acceptable for a military organization to shape the script of mainstream fiction.

What comes next?

With the next meeting in London, it remains to be seen whether public pressure will halt these sessions or whether they will instead become established as yet another strategic communications tool. For now, NATO's credibility as a neutral source of information is in doubt. As one commenter noted, the flag illustrating the original article looked "more fake than a three-dollar bill". Perhaps a fitting summary of the state of affairs.