Lessons the Media Can Learn From Covering the War in Iraq
EmailThe wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been just as costly for the news media as they have been for the military.
According to the International News Safety Institute, 255 journalists have been killed in the Iraq war so far, more than in any previous conflict covering a war that has now lasted longer than both world wars and severely stretched the budgets of news organizations as they have sought to provide protection for their staff.
With the prospect of a long conflict ahead in Afghanistan, ABC’s London buro chief, Marcus Wilford looks at some of the lessons the news media can draw from their experience of covering Iraq and asks if they can apply them to covering other complex and dangerous regional wars.
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/2009%20-%20Fall/full-Wilford-Fall-2009.html
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Gee, isn’t the “Media” an old dog?
I don’t think they are capable of learning any new lessons about anything.
Posted by: Noz | October 6, 2009, 10:09 am 10:09 am
According to the International News Safety Institute, 255 journalists have been killed in the Iraq war so far, more than in any previous conflict covering a war that has now lasted longer than both world wars and severely stretched the budgets of news organizations as they have sought to provide protection for their staff
really wow and wow
Posted by: heather rennee marlin | October 6, 2009, 11:30 am 11:30 am
I thought maybe ABC was finally coming clean about their role in covering up the selling of the Iraq war – as Dan Rather and the head of CNN News did on Bill Moyers’ Journal.
ABC’s reporters, and all others at the press conferences leading up to Iraq, the report claimed, were handed the questions they were to ask in press conferences, were told the order they’d be called on, and were told to act as if Bush was answering of the top of his head instead of giving the rehearsed answer he gave.
This gave the American people the impression that Bush was capably rebutting all criticism of the war, while the “free press” stabbed us in the back. Or, as Dan Rather said, “We dropped the ball.”
But ABC has never come clean on this.
Posted by: The_Mick | October 6, 2009, 11:35 am 11:35 am
There is one main lesson…..being in a position to provide instantaneous news coverage, of a guerrilla war, means you are in a position to get killed.
The real question, then, is whether instantaneous news, is really worth that price, now isn’t it?
One thing is for sure. I have no interest in being a journalist.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | October 6, 2009, 12:07 pm 12:07 pm
Let’s not exaggerate here. Yes, journalists have been killed and budgets have been stretched, but news organizations haven’t spent even one percent of what the military has spent.
Posted by: Paul Tiffany | October 6, 2009, 7:13 pm 7:13 pm