JOURNALISM FINAL REVIEW War Coverage Vietnam Iraq Gulf War o History 1930 s Republic of Iraq declares independence from UK claims state of Kuwait as part of its territory 1950 s US helps install new government Shaw in Iran 1970 Iran overthrows dictator new gov installed invades UN Embassy and takes hostages 1980 s Iran Iraq War Shiite vs Suni Saddam Hussein Reagan sends weapons to SH Iraq borrows from Kuwait to avoid surrender to Iran 1990 s Iraq invades Kuwait bc accused of stealing oil US George Bush Sr and other countries care bc borders sacrosanct US establishes permanent base in Saudi Arabia bc SA asks US for help and invites US troops in 8 90 2 91 Operation Desert Storm US UK SA Egypt and 30 nations form coalition through UN against Iraq s invasion and annexation of Kuwait coalition s aerial attacks ground attacks cease fire UN coalition wins CNN world s first 24 hour cable news network 1980 s Effect when cable network like CNN covers 1 public current event the extent depth and speech which they cover it exceeds any previous network s capabilities Because network directs so much attention positive or negative toward issue provokes response from public allowing 2 way communication between show and audience encouraging people to let gov know that they demand quick and efficient responses by gov causing gov to make those quick policies in response to public often resulting in strained sensitive diplomatic relationships o CNN Effect o Live From Baghdad Robert Weiner CNN and crew sent to Baghdad to cover invasion CNN covers story of UK hostages guests RW meets Minister of Info Naji Al Hadithi CNN interviews US hostage Bob Vinton who goes missing next day CNN wants interview with SH but NAH gives it to CBS NAH sends CNN to Kuwait cover story of hospital incubators CNN gets interview with SH Iraq withdrawal from Kuwait US withdrawal from Hawaii CNN covers release of US hostages including Vinton CNN obtains 4 wire prior to US invasion 1 17 91 US bombs Baghdad overhead Baghdad fires upward CNN describes events broadcasting live through 4 wire resulting in best coverage NAH forces CNN to stop reporting 2 hours after strike begins o Second Front John MacArthur US media wanted to get into Saudi Arabia before 91 Gulf War bc US troops were already there once combat started getting visas virtually impossible Media Press Pool one person per media chosen to cover media worthy event those individuals collaborate their info and footage for one collective story Criticism of Pentagon on Press Pools of Gulf War empty promises Escort System journalists must be escorted by military personnel to keep journalists where they should be 1st amendment protects right to say anything not to go anywhere Limited Access access freedom of press visas journalists Security Review all reports are subject to editing and censorship prior to publication Second Front first front where the war is actually being fought second front how the media portrays the war through propaganda History of War with US involvement Coverage o WWII 1940 45 Almost total access available for allied troops Allied reports censored o Korea 1950 52 o Vietnam 1964 73 Almost total access available for allied troops Allied reports censored Unlimited access for US media available for US base in North Limited censorship CBS filmed US troops burning seemingly innocent civilians and villages suspected of hiding troops Pentagon blames unpopularity of war on media for showing public too much o Grenada 1983 Cold War era No access bc operation was so short rescue of US medical students from No need for censorship bc war was a dog and pony PR show meant to Socialist gov distract from Beirut No access allowed for days media informed about it went to Florida once in o Panama 1989 Panama limited access Censorship o Gulf War 1990 92 Extremely limited access through abuse of media pools Aggressive censorship every report subject to security review Pentagon determined to win propaganda war bc paranoid since Vietnam Embedding news reporters attached to military units involved in armed conflicts vs Unilateral access to civilians and stories fast moving military units miss out o Iraq War 2003 10 collaboration among Pentagon Media US military arranged to satisfy both media wanted a lot if not full access to war and military wanted a say in info being exposed to public Embedded journalists required to sign contract allowing reports to be subject to security review prior to publication Military had right to take out classified info if it aided enemy Media did not complain about system bc war popular 90 approval rate o LaFleur embedding program worked coverage of war failed Pentagon and Central Command felt EP necessary to win info propaganda war flow of info was too slow o Schechter without coverage there would not have been a war propaganda was psychological warfare targeted at US citizens to neutralize opposition to war democracy turned into media ocracy EJ don t see how they re being manipulated idea of EP originated as compromise btwn Pentagon strategists and military leaders lacks context US supported Hussein in 1980 s try to topple statue of SH US crane vehicle topples statue US troops enter Baghdad 4 03 Firdos Square few radical civilians o The Toppling Media coverage misleading bc crowd consisted of mostly journalists and marine not Iraqi civilians civilians that were trying to topple statue were minority people cheering were doing so in response to cameras and media attention led US to believe the war was won and over led world to believe Iraqi civilians all wanted statue down SH gone post topping media largely ignored Iraq civilians when attention was needed the most death toll etc Libel Law Libel defamation of person in print broadcast digital harms reputation Actual Malice knowledge by publisher that info being printed is false and publishes anyway OR publication of story with reckless disregard for truth or falsity New York Times v Sullivan 1964 o NYT publishes ad for MLK s defense committee criticizing Alabama s treatment of civil rights protestors and MLK o Sullivan public safety commissioner writes to NYT some info is false criticism is specifically against him NYT responds prove it Sullivan sues for libel o Patterson governor of AL demands retraction from NYT NYT prints retraction o Patterson sues NYT and 4 black ministers so that case doesn t go to federal court o Supreme Court Justice Brennan Public debate should be uninhibited robust wide open