The Future Military-Media Relationship: The Media as an Actor in War Execution

Technology has changed not only the nature of modern warfare but also how the media covers warfare. Technology has made the media an active and influential participant in armed conflict informing and influencing American public opinion. Public support is crucial to military operations. The military must address the military-media relationship since US adversaries increasingly target the US military-media to erode crucial public support. This research examines potential military use of the media weapon. Drawing on journal articles, technical reports, and various texts, this research examines some historical trends, addresses current and future issues, compiles some guidelines for use in modern military-media relations, and examines military-media considerations in current doctrine. Five categories of issues are discussed: military-media access to the conflict, media's influence on public support, the inherent biases in media reporting, how the media is targeted to influence public support, and various changes confronting the military and the media.