Media Research Paper

Operation Desert Storm put the United States Military onto the front pages of every newspaper and television news station in the world.   Media coverage of the war started with the buildup of forces in Saudi Arab and continued through the liberation of Kuwait.   Military leaders interacted with the media daily, briefing the progress of the war and gaining the public support for the war.   Interaction between the military and the media have continued to expand through pre-911 coverage of operations in the Balkans (Bosnia and Kosovo) to post-911coverage of Global War on Terrorism.   During Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, journalist embedded with US soldiers, providing the public with front line media coverage of the war.   Media interaction use to be limited to top level leadership (General Officers) but now journalists were interacting with lower enlisted and junior officers on the battlefield.

Media training allows you to effectively communicate with the media and transmit your message through various media outlets (newspaper, television, radio, etc) to the public.   The current media training requirement at CGSC consist of real world media interview, present a topic at a community event, submit an article/essay for publication, and blogging.   I make the argument that media interaction training will assist and enhance my duties as a field grade officer dramatically over the next 10-15 years of my career because media training will allow me to effectively communication through the media to public, to conduct an effective interview by deliver units command message while properly answer questions, and adequately represent military units from the battlefield to the public living room.

General William Sherman announced, “I hate newspapermen.   They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts.   I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are.   If I killed them all there would be news from hell before breakfast” (Lacey,...