Activity 24, Implications for the Future
Prior to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, there was little media interest in Iraq and almost no interest in the United States's relationship with Iraq. Saddam Hussein's clumsy attempts to manipulate the media backfired, and the media reported his brutality and destructiveness. The media had little impact upon the decision to begin the ground war, but it did have influence upon targeting to avoid collateral damage, as noted in the case study the "Bombed-Out Bomb Shelter." By and large, media did not have a major influence upon U.S. policy during the Gulf War. However, the U.S. government clearly concerned itself with fighting a war for public support by restricting and controlling information from the war and using the classic practices of public relations.
The government did use the media for getting out their messages and for getting out policies, and for developing domestic and international support. One difficulty is that when you are broadcast on CNN you have only one message, yet when it is seen and heard simultaneously around the world, it is seen and heard differently due to the multiple audiences. Television can magnify the impact of particular events.
Newspapers may have had a greater impact than did television. Journalists could often get to policy makers as they ate their breakfast. Columnists and journalists were good indicators of where there were potential weaknesses in getting the message out. Television could easily be manipulated by what it shows and what is not shown. Television turned out to be a new and very important news source--not just for the public, but also for policy makers. Television accelerates the pace of events. Communication is now instant, and in some cases it replaced diplomatic notes. This has drawbacks because it does not provide for reflective thinking. Television pressures policy makers into creating black and white images.
The real issue was that the news was instantaneous and continuous. High technology, including electronic mail, computer-to-computer communications, digital transmission of still photographs, and satellite transmissions, played a key role in news gathering in the Persian Gulf Conflict. This was America's first "real-time" television War.
Communication processes dramatically altered events as they happened. The role played by Cable News Network (CNN) is a good example of how communications changed events simply by reporting them. A full appreciation of the role of communication in understanding the Gulf War illustrates the blurred distinction between reporting news and making news. From both journalistic and military perspectives, Gulf War communication analysis should begin with the premise that nothing communicated was left in a pristine condition. An important feature of the communication systems that operated during the Gulf War was that they profoundly altered the conduct and coverage of the war. The use of satellite technology by CNN has changed the nature of the market for news worldwide.
The scarcity of portable up-link units further emphasizes the obvious. Since there had been only limited demand for this technology prior to the war, most news organizations did not have it. CNN's coverage, which catapulted the network into a position of news leader, was not successful because of superior technology, but because CNN installed an outgoing telephone line from Baghdad to Jordan rather than to Saudi Arabia or some other Western ally that was instantly cut off when the bombing started. A highly efficient communication systems could be quickly put in place across the desert, allowing for rapid and immediate distribution of information.
CNN stories spoke to three underlying themes--the Americanization of the war, the role of participation of the media in the war, and the "gee whiz" use of military and telecommunications technology as a determining factor. But this should not be interpreted to mean that everyone got the same story. The national news networks of 20 different countries in the world produced essentially 20 different spins on the event. These different narratives reflected different national sentiments toward the Gulf War and its participants as well as the strength of each country's involvement in or distance from it. CNN had long claimed, and world leaders have confirmed, that it is watched in all major world capitals. Reports held that Saddam watched it throughout the war. It certainly was monitored by Iraqi leaders. Media commentators said, "CNN has become the preeminent world-news service."
Student Questions
Why was television more important during the Gulf War than in previous conflicts?
What was the special significance of CNN?
Why did the Iraqi leaders monitor CNN?
What might you expect will be the role of television in future conflicts?
Return to Activity 24.
Go to the Contents page for International Conflict and the Media.
Go to the Bibliography.