What role should the media play in war?

Answer 1

This is a very difficult question to answer. The media should present an unbiased view of any war. Political leanings should be left out. Case in point, in Vietnam, the US won every major battle. After the Tet offensive, North Vietnam's offensive capabilities had been exhausted. There was talk of trying to reach a negotiated truce with the South. But several leaders said wait and see. They did this because of the view being presented by the media to the public. This led to the lack of support to continue and win the Vietnam War. Now I know there are many additional factors to consider, but this is one that is hard to argue. During Desert Storm the drive to Baghdad was stopped due to the fact that the Pentagon was being warned about the coverage the Highway of Death was about to receive. The sheer amount of death and carnage that would soon be aired upon the US networks actually helped to stop the drive to take Baghdad. The media should present the views of both sides and allow the viewers to make their own conclusions. Problem is today you need ratings, so lets show this young soldier who was blown up or this civilian who happened to be caught in the crossfire. With the situation in Iraq now, the media has been better than anticipated. The embedded reporters I think helped to show the struggles and hardships faced by troops in combat. Unless you have been there, you will never know. It is very easy to judge somebody while you are sitting in the comfort of your home. Try being in the boots of that trooper who just slammed into a door, following a grenade, with dust, smoke and debris in the air. You come thru the door and go left or right (depending upon your assignment) and see a shadow. Is that shadow trying to raise their hands to surrender? Or to aim at you? You have only milliseconds to decide and someone could easliy die. When situations happen, they need to be the facts, and only the facts