If there is a disconnect between the media and the military, and if there is a lack of understanding and sympathy between large elements within both organisations, then the military must take its share of the blame.
Your
PR/Corporate Comms/Media Ops organisation has never been much use or help, but there was a time when it did manage to engender a frustrated and exasperated affection among those journos who were already broadly on side, and it did at least attempt to engage with journalists on both the issues that they wanted to cover, and the issues that it wanted to see covered. It did not, in other words, detract from the image of the services, and did not undermine the esteem in which the forces were generally held. As a journo, you itched for better service, but you were left with a vaguely cosy glow, and if asked to feature something that the MoD wanted highlighting, then you did so.
But the organisation is utterly broken, now, and even friendly pro-service journos have little time for MoD Media Ops, which ignores what we want to do, fails to push a real
PR agenda and instead pushes tired 'everything's fine' and party political spin without energy, skill, or even competence.
And in fact, the Media Ops people are actually obstructive, and make it difficult to properly cover a news story. A Puma down at Catterick and media ops won't even confirm the type, encouraging guesswork or speculation, and ensuring that the families of aircrew flying A109, Chinook, Gazelle, Lynx, Merlin, and Sea King have to worry as well.