What It Will Take to Win
Some blame the media for failing to cover the "good news" in Iraq and focusing instead on the bad. That is rich when one considers how the media accepted the script for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and its alleged ties to al Qaeda, both of which proved without foundation. But we are clearly in a war of media images. Our assault on Fallujah, in April of 2004, stopped prematurely because incendiary coverage on the al Jazeera TV network gave the false impression that U.S. marines were deliberately targeting mosques and civilians. Planning and executing an aggressive media plan must be part of our strategy, so we can define the issues before perceptions are shaped by our enemies.
Yet the military cannot count on having "good stories" from every battle zone. This is a war, and it is going to get war coverage, reinforced by the natural media bias toward drama--and drama, in a guerrilla campaign, is on the side of the insurgents. Violence and murder grab people's attention and drive ratings. Stories about rebuilding schools and hospitals will inevitably be overshadowed by the horror of explosions, killings, and kidnappings, by the plight of Iraqis who live in fear as death squads roam the streets, and by the disappearances of Iraqis in the middle of the night. No good is served by pretending that none of this happens.
Blaming the messenger for public unease is a mistake. As Cleopatra's slave put it when she brought the news that Mark Antony had married Caesar's sister: "I that do bring the news made not the match."
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