The role of Journalists during conflict

[jake]

Is it:-

a) To hold the Executive to account by scrutiny ?

b) Support the Military - because "Its our side" ?

 

[Mighty_doh_nut]

Or

C, nobody cares because your a bunch of yellow kagoul wearing wet pants

 

[PartTimePongo]

Forces v Journalists slagging starts here.........  

(F_S is exempt of course)

 

[Oracle]

Whether they are covering a war, a general election or a jumble sale, journalists have one role and one role only - to sell newspapers.  In order to sell newpapers, they will lie, cheat and in the unlikely event of nothing happening - they just make it up.

(Don't really like journos do I ?)

 

[Baddass]

Oracle.........I couldn't have put it better myself.  Problem is though, if we continue to buy their newspapers....we keep them in a job.   Some of them are devious little b*stards.  As for truth?.........'well why spoil a good story with it'........as was once quoted to me!

 

[jake]

Hmm ... slow start  you must still be thinking about it, maybe this will aid your deliberations  ??

http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,7558,605828,00.html

 

[Oracle]

A quote from said article:

By the time we get to the wars in the former Yugoslavia the conventions had changed utterly. Wearing a jacket with "press" badge and travelling in a civilian vehicle flying a white flag actually attracted fire. Several correspondents there recalled driving for their lives as snipers from both sides tried to pick them off. One said, "The locals feel we are leeches sucking away at their misery."

Glad to see the world agrees on something.  

 

[jake]

Hmm - Oracle lifted a "quote" changed the context - do work for a tabloid ??  

 

[Oracle]

Some owners of media groups (no - I won't name names - do you want me to become their favoured target ?) would like to think that EVERYONE works for the media in one way or another.

ps. I don'think the phrase 'The locals feel we are leeches sucking away at their misery' was taken out of any context, more of a truism across the globe.

 

[Baddass]

Slow to start, mainly due to it's lacking in stimulation.  

As for journalists being considered 'legitimate targets', I don't have a problem with that.  

If you are stupid enough to put yourself in a situation, usually against the specific instruction/advice of those who know better, then you get what's coming.  If you manage to get out of it with 'the big scoop!' you'll be quick enough to take the money/career enhancements for the story/photos and any of the accolades that 'hacks' receive at their annual backslapping piss ups.  If you f*ck up and get slotted.......tough, at least you've made the headlines though, just not in the manner by which you had originally intended.  

I'm all for freedom of the press.....and you're free to get yourselves shot if you so wish.  You're also free to dress up as para militaries, which is probably the reason why your presence comes to the attention of those who 'top' you, in the first place.

I'm just not concerned when a member of the press gets some.   In fact, if I'm honest, it makes my day.  

The media done for themselves with that old boot 'Kate Adie'.  All she wanted to do was to be seen as some sort of 'action woman'...............whatever happened to her?   It's OK I'm not really looking for the answer to that.

 

[Aunty Stella]

You leave journo's alone. They serve a true and good purpose.

I'd would never have been able to Zero my SLR if it wasn't for one of Maxwells land rovers.

 

[Mighty_doh_nut]

You still missed ORG

Everybody knows you couldn't hit a cows arse with crow bar

 

[jake]

Thank goodness for scholars .. our society would be so much the poorer if only populated by warriors "Those who live by the sword, die by the sword" e.g. pen mightier  than ... etc etc (or today, email mightier than)

 

[Baddass]

Class yourself as a scholar do you?  I haven't seen anything from you to suggest that yet.  As far as I'm concerned, you're just a squaddie 'hinting' that you are someone else.  

Now why don't you f*ck off.  Sorry if that's a little less 'cordiale' than you're used to, but hey, who gives a monkeys eh?

 

[Mighty_doh_nut]

Jake

I'll bet ORGs Jag that you got bullied at school

Is it coincidence that your name rhymes with 'Fake'

 

[jake]

 Okay ....  We'll leave it up to the correspondents from the Good Ol' US to report on "up and coming events", where we'll learn that Uncle George's boys win the day yet again .... Oh, and apparently there was a supporting act ... but hey, they didn't do much ...........

 

[Gundolph]

Whoever said the pen is mighter than a sword has never encountered automatic weapons fire !!!!!!!

 

[Aunty Stella]

Those who live by the sword, die by the sword" e.g. pen mightier  than ... etc etc (or today, email mightier than)

Personally, I would like to stab most journo's in the eye with a pen, therefore combining the best of both worlds.

 

[Prodigal]

I've just logged on and I feel better already!!

OK Jake, you cannot be surprised at the  reaction you got. To aswer your original questions, it's yes to both IMHO.

I am assuming that if any of us agrees with a) you will come back with the question "including the military Executive?" Again, I would answer yes, but the trouble is with journalism, it is never, ever carried out without meeting someone's agenda, usually the political agenda of the journo's employer.

I don't think soldiers would object too much to honest, unbiased reporting - which is pretty much a contradiction in terms...

Your view please Jake.

 

[jake]

Prodigal -  the answer to a) has to be yes, and would cite Watergate, Apartheid, Profumo and the like ...

as for b) its too simplistic to give an unqualified yes, but I would not advocate the US model of 'tell all' - provided it is not abused I do support the principle of the 'D' notice (now DA Notices).

www.dnotice.org.uk