Week 6, Barker Chapter 11

In this chapter Barker discusses television and the role of the news. In his section on War News, Barker suggests, "President George Bush Snr.'s decision to stop the 1990-91 Gulf war short of a full scale invasion of Iraq was arguably a consequence of this fear that images of slaughter and fleeting Iraqi forces would turn public opinion against him" (Barker, p.320).

I think that Barker is completely overstating the power of the media in this particular situation. First of all, there is absolutely no basis for this claim. Show me where any person involved with the first Gulf War says that this fear of CNN cameras was a driving force in the pull out. I agree that the power of image has the ability to affect decisions in war time. But it's typically reactive and not proactive in nature.

I certainly think that the horrific images presented in war images such as U.S. soldiers dead bodies being desecrated after the Black Hawk helicopter crash in Somalia, the machete hacking deaths in Rowanda, the U.S. bodies being drug out of Viet Nam have all led to war time maneuvering. But in the first desert storm all we got was some shots of smart bombs hitting targets and rooftop shots of US carpet bombing.

Now with the advent of embedded journalism and instant technology perhaps we'll pull back the curtain on much more of the human tragedy that occurs with war. But part of the sad reality is that the major news providers are media conglomerates that are obligated to their other companies, advertisers, share holders, the FCC, and government. Perhaps it's time that journalists embed themselves outside of Walter Reed medical center and Iraqi hospitals.