In this way the film informs viewers about the topic at hand, clarifies any misconceptions the viewer may have about the topic, and convinces the viewer to challenge the role of the media in their daily life. This strategy is recycled throughout the film and is the cause of frequent contentious debates with the interviewees. This approach can be seen most aptly in the film's investigation of the media's role in the Iraq War. In these scenes, the film's famed director/producer John Pilger questions the journalists who originally reported the events that occurred in Iraq. In retrospect, many journalists agree that they did not learn all the facts and simply reported what their superiors told them to report. Likewise, most embedded journalists covering military units at the time were under contract and therefore could not see and/or report everything they wanted. For this reason, the masses have been kept in the dark about the immense losses suffered by Middle Eastern civilians. More specifically, it is estimated that 740,000 women were widowed and almost 4.5 million people were forced to abandon their homes following the invasion of Iraq. Keeping statistics and tragic footage away from public view. The media prevented any sympathetic reaction from the invader's citizens