Government, War and the Media

After reading the assigned articles on the topic of “the press goes to war”, and watching Frontline’s program Obama's War, I feel that the US government did a very good job of using the media before invading Iraq, but have not done enough to use the power of the media to help solve the problem in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq after the war began.

Looking back, it is obvious that the Bush administration used journalists, such as Ms. Judith Miller of New York Times, to be their microphone. This case reminds us of how important it is for the media to be independent, and be on guard against the pressures of “patriotism”.

Frontline’s Obama’s War reveals the difficult situation the US is facing in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Getting rid of the Taliban in Afghanistan turned out to be a hard task of nation-building. Based on the “Counterinsurgency Plan”, the rank-and-filer US soldiers become public ambassadors. They walk into the local villages to win over the population from the Taliban. This action is not very effective and increases the casualties of the US army.

The good news is there are alternatives. I believe that the best way to win a war is to win people’s hearts, and the best way to win people’s heart is through non-military actions. Instead of just shaking hands and talking to people in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, US soldiers should give candies and books to local children, and distribute some foods and short-wave radios to local people. In towns and cities, the US and Afghanistan governments should build schools and civic centers, so people can watch TV, kids can watch Disney films, and young people can listen to modern music and use the internet. Instead of sending more troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, the US government should invest more on our international radio and TV stations. Currently, the US owns a Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), which includes Radio Sawa and Alhurra Television (www.radiosawa.com). They are funded by the US Congress and governed by Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) (http://www.bbg.gov/about/index.html ). Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty have made great contributions to the collapse of communism in the Soviet and eastern Europe; Radio Free Asia and Voice of America are making a profound impact on Asian countries who do not have freedom of the press and freedom of speech. I expect that the Middle East Broadcasting Networks play a big role in changing the situation in Iraq and other Middle East regions. I hope the US will invest more in the radio and TV programs which are tailored to Afghanistan and Pakistan. I think the US government has not exploited the media's advantages to the fullest extent in the war zones.

Almost all the US-based international broadcasters claim that they are independent and objective. However, some people, and some countries they broadcast to, criticize that the US government uses international broadcasting to produce propaganda. It is an issue worth a good debate. Regardless, I believe that during a war, using the media is better than using missiles.

Annie Liu