The video is one of dozens brought to viewers around the world by Maj. Alayne Conway, the top public affairs officer for the 3rd Infantry Division. When her unit was in Iraq, her office sent out four to six videos a day to media outlets around the world, as well as posting them on YouTube. ...
Critics say the purpose of such violent material is not to inform the public about what the military is doing, but to promote it. Public affairs officers argue that they are in a battle with insurgents to shape the public perception of the wars they are fighting, and they will use every means available to push the military's version of events.
Our military is trying to win the war by providing information that places us in a good light? That's horrifying? Given how often the press just passes along enemy accusations as the news of actual events, even if the critics are right, is it that wrong for our press to refrain from undermining our war effort?
Honestly, the critics seem to view getting military videos as a discovery process in their search for evidence to prosecute the American military for war crimes. Our military is under no obligation to play by those press rules.
