War,Spin,Propaganda and PR

I attended my first class of the second semester today in the:Contemporary theory and issues in Public relations module.

It was quite interesting as we watched a short film on-War spin. It was a video on the war in Iraq and we watched reporting from the American camp. I was amazed at how messages from the battleground could be spun (reflected in a different light)before actually hitting the news.

In any war situation,there must be strategy and tactics used by the defence headquarters. Most strategies see a framework for justifying the war and gaining international and domestic support.

Tactics could include: creating uniform messages, dehumanizing the enemy, getting allies, stifling opposition, potraying selves as defenders; enemies as aggressors and controlling messages by controlling the media.

This is a different video from the one i watched in class. However it is also one of the American war in iraq. It is a famous scene where a statue of sadam is torn down as reported by the American military and media.


Where is the line drawn between true represenation of facts in a war situation and tactics used to potray the enemy as weak, aggressors and on the losing side?

How much transparency would be expected in public relations in a war situation?

The use of embedding is a key tactic in war reporting. Whereby journalists are with the soldiers on the battleground and report from the angle of the side they see. Embeds tend to be one sided and do not give a full representation of what is going on overall.

These journalists who report back to base (like bbc journalists)are sheltered and fed by the soldiers and are even given instructions on what can be reported. Where then is the true representation of facts?

Successes are dwelt on, setbacks glossed over.

An example of a spin is where the American soldiers were videoed playing football with the local iraqi youths. This was sent as news footage and sent a message of the enemy warming to them. It also gave the impression of the soldiers being human and not aggressors.

Maximum imagery, minimum insight.

The raw information from the battlefield is given credence by a spokesman(depending on how he decides to frame the information), news goes on air.

Propaganda is used based on the war agenda. Ideas become reality. Truth elusive. The pentagon made clear that: the perception of war affects it's cost and even duration.

In a war situation, loyalties tend to lie with one's nation. Journalists take instructions from the government and soldiers before they can even be a part of reporting from the battlefield. Where then is the unbiased reflection of true happenings when there are limits from the on set.