Embedded Journalists in Iraq

The mission of a journalist is to provide accurate and unbiased information to the public without giving favor to any party. The war in Iraq has given journalists a new role and has raised important questions about the quantity and content of information the media should release to the public.

Media impartiality and independence must always be questioned when there are two or more strong sides to an issue; skepticism and fact checking become more necessary than usual in these situations. A problem journalists in Iraq face today is planted in their dependence on those whom they are covering for their safety and placement on the front lines of the battles. Taking into account that dependent relationship, journalists must strike a balance between responsible reporting and careless dissemination of facts.

Journalists on the front lines face limits to what they can disclose; what is passed on to the American public as "news" is often given to the reporters in the form of biased literature. Fox News' Geraldo Rivera served as an example of when reporters take their role too far when he drew a map in the sand of rerouted supply lines. While he may have given what he thought was a helpful visual aid to Americans glued to CNN, his actions and his carelessness endangered the lives of hundreds of troops.

Journalists like Rivera must realize that when they compromise the safety of the soldiers, they do the same for themselves. Opposing troops will not differentiate between soldiers and reporters. They are, in effect, caught between a rock and a hard place; their profession calls for one path, their safety for another.

Keeping that safety in mind, reporters should strive to bring the most pertinent, accurate and unbiased news - however incriminating to either side - to the American people. The coverage we have seen thus far has been tilted in the favor of the United States. While we do not expect journalists to cross lines and interview Iraqi soldiers, they should maintain awareness that our side is not the only side to the story.

While any report from a journalist affiliated with an American news organization will be slanted by the limited information available, all too often, the press is reporting only what the Pentagon or various military officials tell them. Skepticism about this manner of reporting could leave many questioning the reporter's or news organization's alliances or desire to see an American victory.

Part of being an embedded journalist is playing nice with the groups one covers, making it difficult to provide objective coverage, but these journalists must strive to do the best they can and acknowledge their limitations.