News media luvvies & war reporting
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How about this one?
AM(Retd) Tim Garden on breakfast this morning not knowing that the soldiers to which 2 Iraqi soldiers ( might have been civilians) were surrendering were British....This despite the English accents, depsite the British webbing, despite the British pattern DPM, despite the famed SA80 in the hands of the soldiers..etc
Experts? My TV licence has to pay for this.
G
AM(Retd) Tim Garden on breakfast this morning not knowing that the soldiers to which 2 Iraqi soldiers ( might have been civilians) were surrendering were British....This despite the English accents, depsite the British webbing, despite the British pattern DPM, despite the famed SA80 in the hands of the soldiers..etc
Experts? My TV licence has to pay for this.
G
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Anytime said
"With precision strikes being interspersed with Coca-Cola commercials, GBU-28s painted in MGD colours"
Maybe even a bit closer to the troops. Read somewhere that the RAF commander will prob sanction nose-art (no bare boobs though) but has flatly turned down an offer from a tabloid to have its name on the nose of a kite.
"With precision strikes being interspersed with Coca-Cola commercials, GBU-28s painted in MGD colours"
Maybe even a bit closer to the troops. Read somewhere that the RAF commander will prob sanction nose-art (no bare boobs though) but has flatly turned down an offer from a tabloid to have its name on the nose of a kite.
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BlueWolf sorry mate, but it didn't happen. Either your memory, NZ radio or the BBC was misled or misleading, but no Tornadoes of any variety took part in any operations on or south of Ascension in the 1982 Falklands conflict.
Yes, I was there.
Yes, I was there.
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You aren't right about the Falklands, Damien. Sure there are graphic images in the files now but for over three weeks no pictures were allowed out. The only satcom kit belonged to the Royal Navy, and live pictures were out.
The footage that you describe was released a long time after the event.
All we had was a weird civil servant with a voice like the speaking clock giving press statements.
Ian McDonald, I think his name was.
The footage that you describe was released a long time after the event.
All we had was a weird civil servant with a voice like the speaking clock giving press statements.
Ian McDonald, I think his name was.
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Jacko wrote
"What do you expect from a Canberra pilot?"
Pretty much what is expected of todays Cranberrie pilots, go in, do a job, get back if you can.
Tertius primus erit.
. . .also CO of a Vulcan squadron among other things.
"What do you expect from a Canberra pilot?"
Pretty much what is expected of todays Cranberrie pilots, go in, do a job, get back if you can.
Tertius primus erit.
. . .also CO of a Vulcan squadron among other things.
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According to chatter in the local, "The Pig Slaughter's Knife" - (Ch. Latour & rough Ciders of renown our speciality), there were waves of Iraqi bombers over London last night and "them city folk" didn't get any sleep at all.
Rumour also has it that C....e B...r and her friend C....e are locked in the B...r Bunker with a VHS of "The Fist, The Whole Fist & Nothing But The Fist"* and a vast supply of medical lubricants. Talk about panic buying!
For my own part I am confident the brave allied journos will beat the living s..t out of the Iraqi journos purely because the latter won't be able to decipher what they squiggled whilst under attack.
Delighted to see that Sir T....r MacRasta is braving the arduous conditions of the Kuwait Hyatt Hotel, and the brave butch bitches from every channel are looking very fetching in their camouflage. Expect the first fashion show with battle effects very soon.
Also a new series, "Gardening in Desert Conditions", anchored by C.....e (this sand makes my nipples sore) D.....k.
Still it's all good fun if you don't weaken.
* This film actually exists, and is suitable material for a thesis, a stag or hen night.
Rumour also has it that C....e B...r and her friend C....e are locked in the B...r Bunker with a VHS of "The Fist, The Whole Fist & Nothing But The Fist"* and a vast supply of medical lubricants. Talk about panic buying!
For my own part I am confident the brave allied journos will beat the living s..t out of the Iraqi journos purely because the latter won't be able to decipher what they squiggled whilst under attack.
Delighted to see that Sir T....r MacRasta is braving the arduous conditions of the Kuwait Hyatt Hotel, and the brave butch bitches from every channel are looking very fetching in their camouflage. Expect the first fashion show with battle effects very soon.
Also a new series, "Gardening in Desert Conditions", anchored by C.....e (this sand makes my nipples sore) D.....k.
Still it's all good fun if you don't weaken.
* This film actually exists, and is suitable material for a thesis, a stag or hen night.
Last edited by interestedparty; 21st Mar 2003 at 14:42.
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I really am not sure we should be getting too upset about the luvvies themselves: they only take what is given to them by the uniformed (and sometimes un-uniformed) people who talk to the press. This article on Reuters I think is a shocking breach of Opsec. The comments on Basra really upset me, as does the idea that any serviceman could behave like this. By contrast, the B52 stuff is headline grabbing, but they could work the flight times out for themselves form watching the TV this morning. I suppose it could be psyops, but I fear not
LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - British troops aim to seize control of the southern Iraqi city of Basra during Friday night, a UK military source said.
"One of the key aims tonight is to get hold of Basra," the source told Reuters.
He added that UK troops were preparing to take humanitarian aid into Iraq within 48 hours. "The idea is to sweep through a place then support it."
U.S. B-52 bombers which took off from an air base in England on Friday morning were due to hit Iraq within an hour as part of a "big blast", he added.
((Reporting by Lyndsay Griffiths; [email protected] +44 207 5428022))
Friday, 21 March 2003 16:00:43
RTRS [nL21329780]
LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - British troops aim to seize control of the southern Iraqi city of Basra during Friday night, a UK military source said.
"One of the key aims tonight is to get hold of Basra," the source told Reuters.
He added that UK troops were preparing to take humanitarian aid into Iraq within 48 hours. "The idea is to sweep through a place then support it."
U.S. B-52 bombers which took off from an air base in England on Friday morning were due to hit Iraq within an hour as part of a "big blast", he added.
((Reporting by Lyndsay Griffiths; [email protected] +44 207 5428022))
Friday, 21 March 2003 16:00:43
RTRS [nL21329780]
Last edited by Pegasus#; 21st Mar 2003 at 15:52.
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Lovies only have a few days left to practice their "military diologue techniques"
Not much time left before the money runs out.
See www.broadcastnow.com
UK News broadcasters are only on a limited budget to keep their experts on location.
See www.broadcastnow.com
UK News broadcasters are only on a limited budget to keep their experts on location.
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Everybody likes to slag off the 'news media luvvies', but how would you actually like your war reporting?
These people are professionals doing a job which is to provide what the population wants to see / hear / read. It may appear fatuous to you, but if it sells newspapers or keeps the viewing ratings up that's what counts. If the 'news media luvvies' started reporting the war in a way which satisfied the whinging ppruners they probably wouldn't stay in their jobs for long.
It's easy to snipe, it's much less easy to specify how it should be done differently.
QDM
(And I'm not a news media luvvie, just a country GP who likes a bit of an argument now and again.)
These people are professionals doing a job which is to provide what the population wants to see / hear / read. It may appear fatuous to you, but if it sells newspapers or keeps the viewing ratings up that's what counts. If the 'news media luvvies' started reporting the war in a way which satisfied the whinging ppruners they probably wouldn't stay in their jobs for long.
It's easy to snipe, it's much less easy to specify how it should be done differently.
QDM
(And I'm not a news media luvvie, just a country GP who likes a bit of an argument now and again.)
It's easy to under-estimate the tabloid/TV/radio audience, and to assume that the general interest 'man in the street' is interested only in colour and flavour and doesn't want detail, intelligent observation or analysis.
I think that such a view is arrogant and unjustified. You can strike a balance between entertaining, educating and informing the audience, but not unless you employ journalists who can both communicate and understand what they are talking about.
Those who should be condemned are the editors who think that any half-trained reporter can do an adequate job on defence stories. They wouldn't dream of letting these muppets lose on covering important issues, like education, parliament, party conferences or economics.
But I'm not complaining, because the inadequacy of these people makes a lot of work for journos like me, and Iraqi Freedom will be great for my bank balance (and hopefully over before the new tax year!).
I think that such a view is arrogant and unjustified. You can strike a balance between entertaining, educating and informing the audience, but not unless you employ journalists who can both communicate and understand what they are talking about.
Those who should be condemned are the editors who think that any half-trained reporter can do an adequate job on defence stories. They wouldn't dream of letting these muppets lose on covering important issues, like education, parliament, party conferences or economics.
But I'm not complaining, because the inadequacy of these people makes a lot of work for journos like me, and Iraqi Freedom will be great for my bank balance (and hopefully over before the new tax year!).
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Having done the course, the Media Ops guys try to control the camera view but as you well know, **** happens.
Ever seen the real zoom capability on the TV Cams. Awesome.
Ever seen the real zoom capability on the TV Cams. Awesome.
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Hi Gang;
Too close to the front for my liking. I saw a bit of Sky action (inaction really) yesterday morning....and the drivel that was spouted in the long gaps between action was terrible.
Just my 2P..
Regards..SFS
Too close to the front for my liking. I saw a bit of Sky action (inaction really) yesterday morning....and the drivel that was spouted in the long gaps between action was terrible.
Just my 2P..
Regards..SFS
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Is it just me or do others get the impression the coalition are losing the propaganda war?
Why are they always reacting to Iraqi statements instead of being proactive? What they need and soon is a charismatic spokesperson that can give decent briefings in a timely fashion instead of denying everything then having it shown on Iraqi TV 15 minutes later.
Why are they always reacting to Iraqi statements instead of being proactive? What they need and soon is a charismatic spokesperson that can give decent briefings in a timely fashion instead of denying everything then having it shown on Iraqi TV 15 minutes later.
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The problem with the 24/7 reporting is that each event is dissected in real time by non-experts. Pauses in action are interpreted as problems, and mistakes are made, some of which are amusing, some tragic in their ignorance and the offence they cause. Part of the problem is that many of the studio anchors were not involved in earlier wars and have no idea what to expect. They seem to be surprised that it's not as intense (from their point of view) as a computer game, and their frustration at the conflicting information they receive - live and on-air - is obvious.
Surely an hourly 10-minute summary of the latest events would allow some editing of available VT, with a little time for facts and ethics to be checked and the broadcast analysis to be planned before it actually goes out. As I remember, this was pretty much the profile during GW1 and the Falklands, and the overall impressions of the press (or rather TV) coverage was much better than it is this time.
Notably, the broadsheet newspapers in UK, who have the luxury of time to check sources and facts, are doing a very good job indeed. The TV networks are attempting to commentate, as in a sports event, rather than inform.
Surely an hourly 10-minute summary of the latest events would allow some editing of available VT, with a little time for facts and ethics to be checked and the broadcast analysis to be planned before it actually goes out. As I remember, this was pretty much the profile during GW1 and the Falklands, and the overall impressions of the press (or rather TV) coverage was much better than it is this time.
Notably, the broadsheet newspapers in UK, who have the luxury of time to check sources and facts, are doing a very good job indeed. The TV networks are attempting to commentate, as in a sports event, rather than inform.
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I agree, there is an overexposure. Not only does it give too many opportunities for stupid comments just to be "on air", it can also adversely affect the troops in doing what they are supposed to do, and that is to win the war at minimum cost.
I personally don't feel the need to watch every movement of the troops. I would be quite happy with decent summaries, and since we're not allowed to see everything for tactical and strategic reasons anyway, it would not matter a bit. It would, however, enable the victims (both sides) to retain some of their dignity that is now too often stripped by poking a microphone and a camera in someone's face or by graphically showing the events where people get killed and maimed.
Those shots should be shelved until they are required for documentary use after the war, not broadcast in real-time.
War is hell, not a video game. Get it over with quickly.
I personally don't feel the need to watch every movement of the troops. I would be quite happy with decent summaries, and since we're not allowed to see everything for tactical and strategic reasons anyway, it would not matter a bit. It would, however, enable the victims (both sides) to retain some of their dignity that is now too often stripped by poking a microphone and a camera in someone's face or by graphically showing the events where people get killed and maimed.
Those shots should be shelved until they are required for documentary use after the war, not broadcast in real-time.
War is hell, not a video game. Get it over with quickly.
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Would someone either give the BBC's Hilary Anderson ('embedded' (!!!!) with the Brit HQ in Kuwait) a happy pill or put her out of her misery? The way she reports, it's almost as if he willing the Brits to fail.
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It is time. No, essential. That some of these pratish reporters are sent packing. There are too many of them there and they interfere with ops anyway. A bloody nuisance as they have always been.
Select just two or three and get rid of the rest. They don't know a breech from a mussel anyway - ! And the idiot reporter on Sky who said that he was shocked and dismayed with the bombs and the artillery, and the effect it was having on the civvies. What the hell did he expect.
Bring back Brian Hanrahan, the ONLY sensible war reporter since Stanley Maxted.
Select just two or three and get rid of the rest. They don't know a breech from a mussel anyway - ! And the idiot reporter on Sky who said that he was shocked and dismayed with the bombs and the artillery, and the effect it was having on the civvies. What the hell did he expect.
Bring back Brian Hanrahan, the ONLY sensible war reporter since Stanley Maxted.