While opinions about the Iraqi war coverage vary, University media professors hold varied perspectives on the national media’s coverage of the war.
Larry Snipes, a mass communication instructor, said he felt most newspapers have done a good job of covering the war. Pointing out a recent issue of the Baton Rouge Advocate featuring information on captured, missing and killed soldiers, Snipes said newspapers in general have done a good job of personalizing the war and bringing it closer to home.
Snipes also disagreed with the general public opinion that there is too much war coverage on network television.
“Networks are basically formatting coverage,” Snipes said. “I think it’s really interesting to see the juxtaposition of live coverage with regular entertainment fare.”
Snipes said he liked to see “embedded” reporters, journalists who travel with troops to areas of fighting.
“Overall, it’s positive. It’s a less censored view of what’s going on in the war,” Snipes said.
Bill Dickinson, a mass communication professor, agreed the idea of having journalists in the field was a positive move.
“By embedding the journalists in with the troops and with the latest technological equipment, the coverage is real and timely in a way that has not been true in any previous war,” Dickinson said.
Stephen Banning, a mass communication assistant professor, said he felt the embedded reporters give a different view of the war.
“I think it gives another perspective and a view we didn’t have before,” Banning said.
Dickinson said he found the war coverage to be a unique event.
“It’s kind of a surreal experience to see the immediacy,” he said. “It puts the public right in the middle of the fighting.”
Banning said while reporters were often shut out during the previous Gulf War, the military is now more receptive to journalists.
“The army is a lot friendlier toward the press,” Banning said. “In the first one, they really had no idea what was going on.”
Snipes said while he feels embedded reporters give the public a realistic view of the war, they do run the risk of letting go of their jobs as journalists and becoming too involved in the war effort.
“We won’t know until much later if it was a wise move,” he said.