Friend or Foe: The Media's Role in Operational Planning

An analysis of military-media relations and the impact of media coverage on the operational theater. The growing political employment of forces will require increased levels of public support. Military commanders have increasingly less control over media operating in-theater, while how and what is reported has more impact than ever on the operational theater. The paper discusses rights, roles, end responsibilities of both media and military, then looks at selected 20th Century case studies. Planning concerns are identified based on lessons learned and potential future employment of military forces. Theater success rests in part on these concerns being developed into an over- arching media strategy that transcends from peacetime through the spectrum of conflict.