To Be or Not to Be: The Roles of the Unilateral and Embedded Reporter during Wartime
Abstract
Wartime correspondents are a valid and critical part of obtaining the overall picture of war and military conflicts. This paper examined the roles of embedded and unilateral reporters during wartime to answer the following two questions: How do the media see the role of unilateral and embedded reporters during wartime, and How does the military view the roles of unilateral and embedded reporters during wartime? The author used in-depth interviewing to gain a perspective of the perceived benefits and disadvantages of embedded and unilateral reporting. The interviews garnered the viewpoints of general military officers, public affairs officers, embedded reporters, and unilateral reporters. The paper also explored whether both types of reporting are required during wartime. The research shows that both embedded and unilateral reporters are required if the public is to obtain a complete picture of the military conflict. Unilateral and embedded reporting complement each other on the battlefield and should be viewed as parts of the overall media package. The author concludes by making recommendations to improve the military's relationship with the media.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 11, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA512527
Entities
People
- Hallah E. Nilsen
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College