Why should war journalism be banned?

Question

Please give reasons why putting journalists in war zones is bad, minus the obvious which is safety reasons. :) thanks so much if you guys can help! and if possible, please include a site as your source :)

Answer 1

From the military perspective, war journalism should be barred because of the safety issues that can be created when non-professionals get caught up in a battle: what happens if a journalist is injured or a position is revealed.

From a journalist's perspective, there is the ever-present threat of death, plus the problem of what to report and how to report it without seeming like an extension of either side's propaganda machine.

Even on a journalist's home soil, dispatches will be parsed be individuals on both sides of the political divide for evidence of the success or failure of a war.

Answer 2

War correspondents covering combat is an essential part of informing the public and the world about what is happening. The MAJORITY of war correspondents ATTEMPT to be honest in their coverage and will always be careful not to do anything to give the "enemy" any information that can be used against the troops the newsman is with.

This is where I have to strongly disagree with "wpgeezer". Most newsmen do not think about winning a Pulitzer when they are in combat. Their paper/news-outlet are the ones who worry about that.

Also, most newsmen DO CARE about the lives of others in a combat situation. Some agencies (especially TV) have rules that restrict the behaviour of their people in combat so that others are not put into danger.

I disagree with the idea of "entrenching" newsmen into units as that forces the newsmen to cover a restricted amount of activity and to be biased in their coverage. I prefer that the newsmen have freedom to roam between units and report what they feel is correct.

Answer 3

There are arguments for both sides. The public has a right to know, and wants to know if their sons , husbands or brothers are all right. But military strategy can be ruined by publicity, and possibly put your relatives in harms way. Those journalists volunteer for those assignments hoping to have an adventure and get a Pulitzer prize and boost their career. They know the risk, thats why they do it. They don't care about other peoples lives, or military strategy, or who's right or wrong, they just want the story, or that perfect front page picture. It's a conflict of interest that costs lives.

Answer 4

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