Media Bias In The Military

The media serves as a conduit between the military and the American public. While it is a critical subset of the population, the military represents only roughly 1 percent of the entire U.S. population, which creates a potential contextual gap between the military and civilians. Many civilians today do not know anyone who serves and may feel disconnected because they do not understand the military’s purpose, activities and meaning in their own lives. For them, the media offers their only exposure to military operations. Therefore, the military must communicate to the public via media and reach civilians in order to maintain their confidence and support. However, the media can be a double-edged sword; it seeks to tell a compelling story free of bias, and it will sometime paint the military in an unfavorable light.
Former Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen stressed that, “Our audience, our underpinning, our authorities—everything we are, everything we do, comes from the American people.” The citizens, or audience, receive strategic messaging and coverage of the military through an ever-expanding network of media outlets on a continuous cycle. Ineffective media management contributes to widening the knowledge and support gap between civilians and the military. This gap is often attributed to insufficient senior leader media …show more content…
The public has a right to know about both the positive and negative aspects of military operations. Competition for profits and ratings propel the press industry to produce stories that sell. The American public has a significant appetite for sensational media that include scandals from the military that span from ethical breaches including lying, cheating and misuse of government funds. All stories carry a message and can have a tremendous impact on the military’s credibility with the American