Pentagon Rules On Media Access To The Persian Gulf War

The author examines the relationship between the military and the media since the early days of the Vietnam War and analyzes the factors contributing to the mistrust that grew between the armed forces and the press. The author focuses on the development of the 1992 Joint Doctrine for Public Affairs as a practical tool for reducing tension and providing press access to the battlefield. In the information age, media coverage of military operations will be an even more significant part of the strategic and operational equations. The author's analysis reflects the duality of the relationship and the efforts of both communities to find a practical compromise.

Media Access and the Military shows that, in the context of war, the simple typologies of the press which have been accepted as conventional wisdom are not only out of date, but err in classifying societies monolithically. Within the national culture of the United States, military and media groups differ in the way each frames its vision of the role of the press, and the result is conflict. This study offers a uniquely detailed description of the daily negotiations between the military and the press corps over battlefield access during the Gulf War, and explains how their differing views of the media's role influenced policy.

An eye-opening look at the effect of the media on public perception of The Persian Gulf War

The author examines the relationship between the military and the media since the early days of the Vietnam War and analyzes the factors contributing to the mistrust that grew between the armed forces and the press. The author focuses on the development of the 1992 Joint Doctrine for Public Affairs as a practical tool for reducing tension and providing press access to the battlefield. In the information age, media coverage of military operations will be an even more significant part of the strategic and operational equations. The author's analysis reflects the duality of the relationship and the efforts of both communities to find a practical compromise.

America's attention focused on the Gulf War as briefings and bombings filled the airwaves and pictures and stories filled the print media. But did the American people receive the information that a free press should guarantee?