The Role of Embedded Journalism in Shaping the Image of the Armed Forces and the Nation
By:
Deeksha Shyam Sundar
A2079815045
BA(J&MC)
2015-18
Supervised by Ms. Pritha Chakraborthy
Amity School of Communication
Amity University
Index
TOPIC PAGE NUMBER
Abstract 3
Acknowledgements 5
Introduction 6
Research Question 8
Justification of Study 8
Methods of Data Collection 9
Role of Media 10
Why the Armed Forces Need the Media 10
Why the Media Needs the Armed Forces 11
Hurdles to Effective Military-Media Interactions 12
Observation and Result 13
Future Prospects 14
References 15
Bibliography 15
Abstract
Media has always been a source of information for the public, especially during wartime, but in early days, updates to civilians during war was few, and not always completely true. These updates were given by military spokespersons or by civilians in contact with the frontline military, and so its authenticity could not be confirmed. Nowadays, with the advent of technology, embedded journalism, or war reporting, has become a very important factor in the portrayal of war. It gives the civilians an accurate image of the frontlines and the current situation, while flaming the feeling of patriotism and the willingness to do their part for their war-waging country in the hearts of the people.
Wars of the 21st century are being referred to as ‘info tech wars’. Media is an effective weapon of information and disinformation available to both the adversaries. Indian experiences in Kargil and the continued fighting of low intensity conflicts has reinforced the importance of the role of media in creation of a favourable public opinion.
The military and the media are interdependent. They both need each other for their respective roles. However, their relationship is a complex one.
The armed forces are by and large dissatisfied with the quality and bias of media coverage they get during peace, low intensity conflicts and conventional wars. In addition, the armed forces would like the media to co-operate and assist in carrying out deception, psychological warfare and disinformation. The media, however, does not react positively towards these needs, and feels that the armed forces are unnecessarily secretive, hide behind draconian laws of secrecy or bureaucratic red tapism and fail to provide even harmless information for the general public.
As such, the military of a country cannot afford to ignore the media or waive off its importance. At the same time, they have a lot of secrets they do not wish to disclose in the interest of safety, and so look for a way to ‘control’ the media and its output of the forces.
Similarly, the media is always on the lookout for new and interesting stories, and coverage of the armed forces, especially during low intensity conflicts/war, will always hold the interest of the reader. But the media of today doesn’t like to be controlled, nor does it like secrets. Journalists today will go all out to ferret out the truth, and the defence forces doesn’t like that very much.
In essence, urgent remedial measures are required towards achieving a harmonious interface between the two, and the establishment of a relationship that will prove beneficial both for the armed forces and for the nation as a whole.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my supervisor, Ms. Tanushree Pabbi, for her help and support in completing this research paper. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the department and the university for providing me with the resources to make this paper possible.
I would also like to thank my father, Capt. Shyam Sundar, for his insights into the topic and for providing me with valuable information about the military’s perspective of the issue.
I would like to thank my mother, Meenakshi, for providing emotional support throughout the research, and for raising up practical questions that have helped greatly.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone who, knowingly or unknowingly, have helped me with the research of this topic.
Introduction
“The essence of successful warfare is secrecy;
the essence of successful journalism is publicity”
– Gen Dwight Eisenhower
Warfare is as old a phenomenon as mankind, and war reporting dates back to over two thousand years. Defence journalism has now attained a new dimension, with communication and information technology reaching near pinnacle. This threatens to alter the actual dynamics and strategies in war. The combatant who wins the ‘information campaign’ prevails since information is the key to modern warfare.
Media is an effective weapon of information and disinformation available to both adversaries. As appropriately stated by the late Gen BC Joshi – "Media is a force multiplier"- it can make or break the backbone of any organisation or nation. Its correct use can attack the minds of the enemy and win a war of any kind without firing a shot. Therefore, military commanders must appreciate the impact that media can make on military equations and factor it into their plans.
The military and the media are interdependent, and both need each other for their respective roles. However, their relationship is a complex one. The armed forces attempt to manage the media to report and project their point of view, while the media attempts to get to the bottom of the issue to ferret out the truth. The term ‘media management’ is, after all, anathema to media men. They detest any control or restrictions imposed on them; they are of the opinion that media cannot, and should not be managed in today’s ‘info- tech’ and ‘info-savvy’ world.
The Indian Army’s experiences in fighting low intensity conflicts has reinforced the importance of the role of media. The armed forces need to realise that creation of a favourable public opinion in counter insurgency situations is the real ‘strategic objective’, and that the media is an effective means to do so. The insurgents and the security forces seek to protect their operations with the media acting as a tool for conveying their respective view points in the ‘battle of minds’. ‘Media Projection Plans’ are very important specially during the conduct of operations in a Low Intensity Conflict environment.
Research Question
The purpose of this paper is to study the role of embedded journalism in enhancing battlefield transparency and bringing out events during war for better appreciation by citizens of the country, and to study the current military-media relationship.
Justification of Study
The armed forces are by and large dissatisfied with the quality and bias of media coverage they get during peace. During low intensity conflicts they are unhappy about the media’s general lack of appreciation of their difficult role, and undue emphasis given to the few aberrations that occur in that stressful environment. During conventional war, the military supports positive coverage of the war but is concerned about the effect of some unbridled media glare towards troop safety, operational security and public morale. In addition, the armed forces would like the media to co-operate and assist in carrying out deception, psychological warfare and disinformation. The media, however, does not react positively towards these needs, and feels that the armed forces are unnecessarily secretive, hide behind draconian laws of secrecy or bureaucratic red tapism and fail to provide even harmless information for the general public.
While both the armed forces and the media need each other to perform their respective roles effectively, there is a serious problem in their mutual relationship. The issue is contentious and demands comprehensive study. Urgent remedial measures are required towards achieving a harmonious interface between the two, and the establishment of a relationship that will prove beneficial both for the armed forces and for the nation as a whole.
Methods of Data Collection
A large content of the data for this paper was researched from published material available at defence libraries (access to which I gained with the help of my father), internet sites, and talks with various people in the know, like the Public Relations officer (Navy), etc.
The Role of Media
The basic purpose of the all-pervasive media is to dispense news. A dictionary definition would be: report of recent happenings, tidings, interesting facts not previously known. This immediately brings out the larger role of the media. Broadly speaking, the functions of the media would encompass acquisition, interpretation and dissemination of news and other information needed by the electorate to make the decisions required of a self-governing population, a forum for exchange of public opinions and attitudes, to act as a ‘watchdog’ for the people by preventing and revealing abuses by institutions of power, and to educate and entertain the people. There is mutual dependence between the institution of democracy and free media.
Why the Armed Forces Needs the Media
Support from the parliament and the people can be enthusiastic if they are kept informed about what the military is doing to accomplish the task assigned. The media can play a big role in educating the public.
The press can highlight the inefficiency of government in dealing with national security issues and general requirements of the armed forces and evoke public debates on them. These are mandatory for a thriving democracy.
The armed forces need to project a savvy image of being a modern force in the twenty-first century that is competent of facing any internal and external threat, which would inspire confidence in its citizens leading to a feel-good factor. The media can achieve this for the military.
In low intensity conflict operations, the media can project the excesses of the militants, the sham of ideology they profess and act as an effective buffer to prevent allegations of human-rights violations. The media thus has its usefulness in winning the hearts and minds of the people.
In war, the armed forces need the media to sustain and improve public support, maintain troop morale including that of the families, deceive the enemy of own intentions and capabilities, and act as a weapon of psychological warfare.
The media can effectively shape the international opinion which in turn can alter the outcome of war or justify the need for a nation to go to war.
The media has the potential to expose incompetence during war. This makes the armed forces and governments more careful and thus reduces incompetence in the long run.
Why The Media Needs the Armed Forces
In today's world, the media needs the military in more ways than one. The media has always needed something that "sells"; something that is sensational1, that is exclusive, maybe a "scoop", and lapped up by the public, thus leading to greater publicity. The Gulf War offered the media an opportunity to achieve better ratings and circulation figures2. The military fits the bill perfectly in modern day society that has seen-it-all, done-it-all and is generally bored.
Of late, media has been facing the grim prospects of falling audiences3 and increased competition both within its own kind and from emerging media like the Internet. The media has to re-invent itself just to keep up its market share and advertising revenues, as otherwise it would become financially unviable. The military offers the media a viable field for reporting what the audiences find interesting. Graphic television coverage as seen in the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kargil has brought this exciting subject to the centre stage of media planning. Suddenly media houses are on the look for retired armed forces officers and ‘experts’ who would give them greater credibility in their reportage.
Hurdles to Effective Military-Media Interactions
From the above it is clear that army and media are inter dependant. They do need each other–in fact in today’s world they cannot do without each other. Despite this, they view each other with suspicion.
There are apprehensions on the part of both the press and the defence forces about each other’s role and their contribution to governance and public opinion. The armed forces, an institution central to the preservation of a democratic nation, have a vital role to play in guarding public interest and towards the security of the country. The press is a watchdog over military, political, economic and social institutions of power. Its job is to inform the people about the doings of its institutions. By its very nature, it is sceptical and intrusive. The military, because of its security concerns is secretive and resents any intrusions and encroachment which impinges on their security, and quite often places restrictions on the prerogatives of the press, thus leading to friction and tension in their relationship. While the military feels it has the right to say ‘NO’, the media feels it has the right to ‘KNOW’4.
Observation and Result
Both the media and the military, so central to the preservation of democracy, function for the welfare of the nation and society at large and are interdependent. Their often contentious relationship is characterized by the fact that theirs is a symbiotic relation, in the sense that they both need each other to perform their respective roles. They are complementary and collaborative since both have the common aim of upholding the constitution. The military protects the sovereignty by winning wars, and the media protects the right of the citizens by keeping them informed. At the same time, it is an adverse relationship which causes conflict. The military attempts to support its operations by restricting and modifying the flow of information, while the media brooks no constraints in its working.
The armed forces and the media therefore must understand the compulsions of each other. Only by this will there be a change in attitude both collectively and individually. Thus they both need to take certain measures to bridge their gap and harmonize their relationship.
Future Prospects
The present organization and structure present in the armed forces needs a radical and holistic changed approach to make the media handling modalities of the armed forces more responsive to the needs of the future.
The government must enumerate national information and media policies and the aspect of defence coverage, in peacetime, conventional and Low Intensity Conflict operations, must be adequately covered.
The media policy must address the core issue of defining the degree and type of restraints to be placed on the media during peace, low intensity conflict and war in order to ensure positive media coverage without loss of credibility and endangering operational security and troop safety. It must lay down the media objectives, priorities, methods, means and constraints for the three situations.
Transparency must form a corner stone of the media policy as it will lead to greater public understanding and awareness which in turn will lead to greater appreciation and public confidence in the armed forces.
Self-restraint by the media is any day preferable to pre censorship and will only enhance media credibility. A list of sensitive issues on which the media must exercise restraint, and different sets of security guidelines for covering defence matters during peace, exercises, Low Intensity Conflicts and war must be evolved in consultation with the media and notified to the media and their organisation such as the Press Council of India.
The Official Secrets Act of 1923 must be revised to incorporate the damage potential of a piece of information as the overriding factor in determining whether or not its discloser and receiver are guilty. Such a step will be a big stride towards recognition of the ‘right to know’ in a democracy.
References
1 Kumar Rajiv, Major, “Terrorism Armed Forces and the Media”, The Hindu, 14 Mar 92.
2 Smith Jeffery, “War and Press Freedom: The Problem of Prerogative Power”, OUP New York, 1999, p210.
3 Chiranjiv Avinash, “Electronic Media Management”, Authors press 2000 Publishers, p327.
4 Sunder AS during “Press Conference EX KURUKSHETRA” at DSSC, Wellington, 01 Feb 03.
Bibliography
1. www.the tortoise.com – Partner in Conflict.
2. www.ijnet.org – Relationship between Media and Military.
3.www.papers.maxwell.of.mil / research – Relationship between Media and Military.
4. Presentation on Media-Military Relationship by Cmde Keshnoor