Discuss Objectivity and impartiality in war and conflict reporting today in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Discuss Objectivity and impartiality in war and conflict reporting today in Iraq and Afghanistan.    

The media coverage of war in Iraq and Afghanistan today, is one of constant conflict. Many organisations believe that war coverage should be Objective and Impartial, with no preference to either ‘side’. The terms ‘objectivity’ and ‘impartiality’ within journalism are perceived as, “the adoption of a position of detachment” from the subject of media coverage.  The terms suggest one should refrain from involving subjective, personalised involvement and judgements. However, as this essay will discuss, is it possible for objectivity to be upheld in the face of war? That objectivity could in fact just be “a mirage”. Or will the lack of Objectivity ultimately present dangers to the public and the media?  

Media audiences of today are heavily influenced and opinionated by news content, which invoked the institutional ideal of ‘Objectivity’. Networks decisions to exclude or include items from their news bulletins has aroused heated and often hot-blooded discussions in the media and public sphere. The Aftermath of September 11th and the beginning of the Iraq war particularly caused a renewal of this debate, involving Al-Jazeera and Fox News.

        Al – Jazeera and Fox news are two media corporations that are heavily accused of lacking in objectivity within their reports of the Iraq war.

Al-Jazeera, who were and still are constantly being slated by the Americans for their “Biased” television images, promote that their news coverage endorse, “objectivity integrity and balance”. This however, according to some, was undermined when, after September 11th it began broadcasting videos which saw Osama bin Laden attempting to justify his terrorist attacks upon the United States. Ever since, Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary and many others have accused Al-Jazeera of "consistently lying" and "working in consort with terrorists". 

However can this really be seen as “consistently lying” or as objectivity? Showing both sides of the story and allowing America to see Osama Bin Ladens justifications, maybe leading to his whereabouts and showing the Iraqi people the true reason for the war, to hate their country’s propagandists. Or could it be seen as subjective? Allowing the Iraqi citizens to sympathise with the man that lead them into war, ‘consorting with terrorists’ as it has been said.

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Al-Jazeera justify their actions with the need to show their people what they want to see, yet at the same time showing both sides of the story; “The Opinion and the other Opinion” and a, “Passion for truth”. If truth means showing the humanitarian cost of the war, then Al-Jazeera does just that.

 On the other extreme Fox News, reporting from an American perspective is also condemned for lacking in Objectivity by Al-Jazeera and even many of its fellow Americans. Fox news declare “Fair and Balanced News”, however critics worldwide declare that Fox News is solely a “conservative” news ...

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