The Changing Relationship between the Military and the Media.
Abstract
The dynamic relationship shared by the military and the media has ranged from cooperation and trust to hatred and contempt. This investigation encompasses a history of this relationship during military conflicts, beginning with World War I and continuing to the present. The objective was to investigate these changing relationships in order to determine a policy capable of reacting to the needs of the military, the media, and the American public. This research documents the permanent split created in the relationship of the military and the media during the Vietnam War. Because of this negative relationship, the American military personnel distrusted the media and therefore, were reluctant to keep the media informed about their operations. The media, which is overwhelmingly dependent on the military to provide it with information, also distrusted the military. The result was that the American public did not always get an accurate picture of the war. Without censorship in Vietnam the military was not always open and candid with the media. However, the military cannot allow the media to work under false assumptions, or report a story if they are only partially informed. Consequently, this research found that censorship during military conflicts will assist the flow of information between the military and the media. The effect will be a more fully informed American public during military operations. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA161517
Entities
People
- Timothy H. Ondracek
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology