War Coverage in a Changing World

Tori Knueven

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What is the job of the journalist when it comes to military and wars? This is a relevant question in modern times, but it also has a history. Of all the topics in journalism, war is one that citizens want to hear about because they want to know that their family and friends are okay. I think that the major question at this point is, when does a journalist cross the line in order to get their story?

A journalist has to make many decisions when covering a war. They also have to keep in mind the stakeholders when they publish a story. The danger of releasing too much information can be bad for the military but also those back home. I agree that there are some necessary rules about what can be punished at certain times. I also think that as a branch of the government the military must answer to the people. A journalist has the job of giving people that chance.

From New York Times

Public Opinion

War depends a lot on the minds of the people at home. Without the trust of those in the United States, how can the army do its job?

Walter Cronkite and other journalists in the Vietnam War are some of the reasons that the United States decided not to continue their mission. This article demonstrates how important the stories and photos were in that time period. Since that time, journalists have been expected to go to war with the country. I think that this is important. Families at home deserve to know the truth about what the military is doing in countries far away. This gives the military more pressure to do what they need, and also to do it right. In this new era of technology, journalists are just hitting the tip of the iceberg with the amount of information available. There are new ways to get and publish stories.

The Line

The norm of journalists going with the army might be giving stories an unexpected bias. Embedded journalism is discussed in this article. In war, it should be very clear what the military is doing. If there is a controversy that the American public should know about, journalists have a job of accurately and fairly reporting the controversy. The problem with the military is that some of what they do has to be kept secret or it threatens the safety of soldiers. How much information is too much? Or more important, how much information is too little?

The audience also has to keep in mind that being deployed is an experience that they know little about. What might seem inappropriate to people at home, might be normal entertainment to the crew on a ship. Soldiers who are deployed are separated from their friends and family and have the stressful job of representing and safeguarding their country. I can understand how this pressure can be overwhelming, and it is understandable that sometimes things can go wrong. They have to keep in mind that this is the age of technology. People expect answers and honesty; if they do not get this then there will be ridicule and consequences. Especially when it comes to the military and journalists who tag along with them, there should be very transparent stories.