Essay On Military Communication

In an age of instantaneous, constant news and internet coverage, no organization or group is immune to the effects of media or mass communication. A government run institution, such as the United States military, faces the daily challenges of interacting with such media and managing its influence. Advancing technology and new forms of media outlets pose several issues and concerns for the United States military and how the institution as a whole along with the individual service members can appropriately interact with this type of mass form of communication. Recent years have become recognized as the age of information due to the easy accessibility and widespread use of media communication. The military has developed a relationship with those who report and present …show more content…
The introduction of real-time media and news reporting has resulted in the instantaneous public awareness and scrutiny of various kinds of military operations and decisions as they occur. The Vietnam War was one of the peak times in history in which the mainstream press took advantage of virtually unlimited access to combat zones and other areas of military operations, as long as Pentagon rules and guidelines were followed. Formal types of censorship were basically nonexistent. Journalists also generally had access to most areas of combat zones except those that were limited by the field commanders’ decision. This type of relationship began to change over time as the news media began to reveal the harsh realities of war to the American public, and consequently, its reporting began to be more negative. The court case titled Flynt v. Weinberger highlighted this change in access to military reporting. In 1984, Hustler publisher named Larry Flynt wanted to stop the military from preventing or hindering him from