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16th March 2026
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Over the weekend, official White House social media accounts posted some questionable videos which seemed to trivialise and ultimately desensitise young audiences to its war in Iran. This one compares the United States’ strikes to scoring points on Wii Sports (cleverly chosen for Gen Z nostalgia points), while this one uses AI to show America-branded bowling balls striking “Iranian regime” pins. Both look like naff edits a teenage boy might make to the amusement of friends—except it’s actually the real American government that created them. These videos are so ridiculous that it feels as though the easiest option is to just laugh and move on—and I think that might be the point.
The Trump administration has offered little coherent justification for its war in Iran, but has offered this sort of tone instead, writes Prospect’s philosopher-at-large Sasha Mudd. The US government is blurring the moral picture for everyone else, she writes, making it difficult to apply rational judgements (something that is even harder when that catchy Wii music is playing in the background). Mudd asks: “How do you apply ethical frameworks to leaders who openly reject them, who treat war as spectacle and legality as optional?”
The conflict in Iran is naturally quite all-consuming in the current media cycle. In today’s episode of Media Confidential Alan and Lionel are joined by Margaret Sullivan, former public editor at the New York Times, to discuss whether certain other stories have fallen to the wayside because war is dominating the headlines. As three former editors, they have some pretty strong expertise.
Alan also writes about the Telegraph’s new German owners in his latest column. Mathias Döpfner, CEO of publishing giant Axel Springer, has a reputation for editorial interference, has shown previous support for the Trump administration and reportedly encouraged Elon Musk to support Germany’s far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), he writes. Alan actually interviewed Döpfner back in 2023 when he was rumoured to be interested in buying the Telegraph.
And, in case you missed it on Saturday, in our Weekend Read, David McAllister interviews photojournalist Don McCullin, known for his war photography and pictures of urban deprivation. “If I’d have been a much more intelligent, sophisticated person, I don’t think I could have taken on the wars and the tragedies and the dying children”, says McCullin. Now age 90, McCullin reflects on his legacy.
There’s not long left until Ben returns from the land of Oz to take back his Lightbulb post! Share any thoughts in the time being at kathryn.schoon@prospectmagazine.co.uk.
Kathryn Schoon
Assistant audience editor
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