U.S. media reports fairly on success, failure in Iraq

As a headline, the above is not particularly dramatic. It's not particularly controversial, either. Except when you put it in the context of this Army Times story, which came to my attention via the Romenesko media news blog:

From my foxhole-view as a tactical battalion commander in western Baghdad in 2006, the American press, although not perfect, has reported the reality of the Iraq war.

Contrary to what most believe in the American military, as well as some conservative columnists and a few politicians, the American press does give a reasonably full, fair and balanced picture of what is happening in Iraq.

The war in Iraq is complex, difficult, deadly and heartbreaking, but with glimmers of hope and success that sometimes shine through the death and violence. Do we expect the press to only report the good and not the bad? Now, sadly, the bad tends to outweigh the good, and I, as a soldier and citizen, want the press to report the war accordingly.

The author? Gian P. Gentile, who is "an active-duty Army lieutenant colonel. He commanded an armored reconnaissance squadron in the 4th Infantry Division in West Baghdad in 2006."

Now, am I trying to suggest that the press is or is not doing a good job covering the war? No. I haven't been to Iraq and can't really say.

I am, however, suggesting that a relatively benign comment can become very powerful when delivered by the right person. In this case, it is someone who by the nature of his job would be expected to have the opposite opinion.

Gentile writes an interesting piece, going on to say:

It is my opinion that the American military's ongoing condemnation of the American press's reporting of the Iraq war has more to do with its own mistaken belief that the American media lost the Vietnam War and has less to do with the current reporting on Iraq. I also believe that because the American military fears so deeply the loss of support of the American people over Iraq as an outgrowth of Vietnam it tends, wrongly, to allay these fears by blaming the American press for not reporting enough of its successes in Iraq.

As communicators, it's important to keep in mind who is delivering a particular message. For example, want to get maximium attention for a point? Have your highest ranking executive -- CEO, chairman, etc. -- do the interview. Want to bury the news? Provide commentary only from a spokesperson.

In the case of the Gentile story, we have the former. It will be interesting to see if this brings any reaction, and from whom...

Technorati Tags: press, journalism, public relations, iraq war