Granting Access to Media Helps Military Sell the War

In contrast to the media coverage of the 1991 Gulf War, TV viewers in the US and around the world can watch the current war on Iraq in real time almost 24 hours a day. “I think the White House and the military establishment have programmed an irresistible story for journalists in this country," said Joe Lockhart, White House press secretary in the Clinton administration. But the access the military grants to the mass media and the amount of time journalists spend with troops encourages a certain kind of narrative that runs the risk of presenting a skewed version of events. Some media watchers also note that while message management seems to be relatively successful for American audiences, people in Europe and other regions of the world are not being won over so easily. –YaleGlobal