Blog 4; The Press and War

 The Press and War

    Around August 2018, Donald Trump endured the wrath of critics again after claiming that the media can cause wars. Immediately they ridiculed his statement and claimed he was attempting to belittle journalists to be the enemy of the people, some even shot back with replies, Fox News reporter Chris Wallace bluntly asked National Security Advisor John Bolton: “What wars have we caused?” 

    Wallace and other critics may be technically correct, media outlets have no power to launch attacks on foreign countries or order U.S. troops into combat, however that viewpoint does not take into account the media's considerable ability to influence public opinion. If the press is irresponsible with the power and influence they hold over public opinion they can, and have before, stir up public sentiment for military actions that may be unnecessary and even immoral. 

    Two instances, in particular, stand out to me: The Spanish American War and the Iraq War. Many historians have since recognized that “yellow journalism,” played a significant role in the former conflict and was epitomized by the newspaper chains owned by William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. Months before the actual outbreak of the Spanish American War, one of Hearst’s reporters requested to return home from Cuba because there was not any sign of a worsening crisis there. Hearst instructed him to stay, adding, “you furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war.” 

    This was an obvious exaggeration, however, the newspapers frequently hyped up the "threat" the Spanish posed. Outlets additionally took advantage and exploited the explosion that destroyed the USS Maine and killed over 250 Americans. To this day the cause of the explosion is still unknown, however, the yellow press jumped to the conclusion that the Spanish attacked deliberately. “Remember the Maine” became their slogan, which was further driving public opinion toward war. 

    We see further evidence of an irresponsible press influencing public opinion by writing pro-war narratives in 2003 before the U.S. military intervention in Iraq. Prior to this Judith Miller, a New York Times reporter, and other mainstream journalists

were publicizing information regarding Saddam Hussein’s government. They circulated "evidence" that Iraq was in alliance with al-Qaeda and may have possibly had a role in the deleterious 9/11 terrorist attacks, and additionally they pushed the narrative that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and was actively working on developing a nuclear arsenal.

    While we cannot place all or even most of the blame for these two disastrous wars on journalists and the press, most of the media during those times was pro-war and that bias very much altered the narrative being projected to the public. When highly trusted and respected news outlets put out story after story about the security threats Saddam posed or the vicious Spanish attacks on America, it is hardly surprising that a good majority of the public believed them. 

    Even though Trump's comment was an exaggeration, it is important to recognize the truth behind it. Irresponsible media and journalists have undoubtedly whipped up public sentiment in favor of military actions in the past, and it could do so again in the future. The press needs to be careful about promoting and pushing policies that could result in further harm. Though it isn't right to brand the press as an enemy of the people, it is still a powerful institution that has not always used its powerful influence responsibly regarding matters of war and peace.