Control Room : Media in the Iraq War

In this blog I will attempt to show how the main three media groups in Iraq feel about a journalists role during war time. The 2004 film Control Room serves as my main focal point in this piece. Here are the three groups main points on a wartime journalism and how there three groups conflict with eachother.

• Al Jazeera see themselves as true journalists.
• America needs correct media coverage.
• They are here to educate and enlighten Iraqis.
• Will show violent images to show himan cost.
• The U.S military needs propoganda.
• No media should be targeted.
  

• The military is not in Iraq for the press.
• CentCom will not release new information which could endanger soldiers.
• Believes Al Jazeera to be a biased propoganda using network.
• Against Al Jazeera showing American POW's and dead soldiers.

• American media sees Al Jazeera ruffling feathers, and like it.
• CNN is upset over the level of context in military briefs more truth needed.

Al Jazeera is the largest Arab television channel in the world, broadcasting to over forty million viewers. They are a group which find pride in their selflessness journalistic skills. Throughout the film they seemed to be the most legitimate organization. They try to give a uncompromising view of the war without biased opinions. Individuals think they can regognize the falseness of CentCom's frequent updates, and were especially adament about the toppling of Saddam's statue in Baghdad.

The United States Central Command (CentCom) is the head of American intellegence in Iraq, located just outside of Darfur. Throughout the film CentCom is portrayed as an inadequate source of information. Often giving briefings that leave much to be desired, but this is nessecary so that troops maintain safe positions. Also they feel like the media has betrayed them and frequently berate Al Jazeera and the BBC.

The other media groups in Iraq such as CNN and BBC see Al Jazeeras coverage of the war as revolutionary, noting their eagerness to deliver the full news leaving nothing untouched. These groups are also in dismay with CentCom after numerous lackluster briefs.
In my opinion Al Jazeera were indeed the true medium in this affair, and to a lesser extent the other media groups. When CentCom try to paint them as a bias filled propoganda machine it doesnt fly with me. I mean in one scene you see Donald Rumsfeld commenting on Al Jazeera's propogando techniques, then ten minutes later you see an Iraq army commander condeming their propogand also! If both sides think that Al Jazeera is going against them, then obviously they are showing coverage on both sides of the spectrum. They really were the true journalists.