The American Military and the Media: Historical Lessons and Future Considerations

Abstract

Media coverage of military operations has been around for centuries, and has evolved as much as the technologies and tactics with which war is fought today. It is also in the early origins of the military-media relationship that one can see the seeds of certain characteristics that seem to run common throughout history. This research paper discusses the U.S. military-media relationship, beginning with a brief history of the media at war up to the Vietnam conflict. With the war in Southeast Asia came a different set of rules for those covering the war which redefined the way the American public viewed war and the military. Through the lessons learned from that conflict along with advances in satellite technology came the "modern era" of news coverage as seen during Operation Desert Storm. This real-time reporting forced the military to reevaluate its relationship with the media and realize that news coverage must be considered before hostilities begin, not as an afterthought upon completion of the plan. Did the military learn its lesson by placing embedded reporters with the troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)? What could have been done better by both sides of this forced brotherhood? In addition to this relationship, the paper discusses the media's motivation to report in the manner that they do, and evaluates the evidence for liberal or conservative biases by major news sources. The paper also offers suggestions and recommendations for future operations based on some fundamental truths and characteristics of both sides of the military-media relationship, with a focus on the programs and procedures that the U.S. military can control to foster a cooperative relationship with the media. The military cannot ignore the importance of information and of public opinion in a democracy like the United States, for it can have decisive consequences for the outcomes of future conflicts.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA475585

Entities

People

  • Brian D. Burns

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Cameras
  • Civil War
  • Department Of Defense
  • Governments
  • History
  • Iraqi-War
  • Military Commanders
  • Military Education
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Military Training
  • New York
  • Training
  • Vietnam War
  • Warfare

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • International Journalism and Media Studies.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.

Technology Areas

  • Space