Embedded Journalism and its Problems

Rachel Danner
rd725312@ohio.edu

What is Embedded Journalism?
Embedded journalism refers to the journalism in connection with active military conflicts. Typically, the journalism is extremely biased because the journalist is only made aware of one side of a conflict and only the positive views of that side. This type of journalism became most prominent in the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. Embedded journalism is typically used to portray military personnel and war situations in a more positive light that typical reporting would not.

Embedded Journalism in Action
Journalists have been embedding themselves in stories for some time now, but it didn't gain popularity until the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Though sometimes skewed, in the past embedded journalism appeared to be an accurate way to report on the war. Now, embedding is a biased and sometimes dangerous way to report.

Dangers of Embedded Journalism
Embedded journalism is dangerous to the writer and the story because it creates bias and can sometimes be dangerous to the safety of the journalists. First, embedding puts the journalist's life at risk because embedding puts the journalist inside the war, rather than simply observing it from afar. Second, embedding creates biased stories by showing the journalist only one, military based view of the war when some war issues run much deeper than just combat.

via http://photowalkingmunich.de

Why Embedded Journalism is Used
Embedded journalism allows the writer to receive first-hand observations of conflicts that most typically do not see. It allows them to have a deeper connection to those in the military and therefore creating, though one-sided, accurate reports of the lives of the men and women overseas. This provides the public with stories they can sympathize with and connect with.

What Should be Done?
Embedded journalism is not worth the dangers to both the credibility of the story and the safety of the journalist. Accurate and fair reporting can be done away from the frontline and these stories are not worth the risk they pose.