Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On 9/16/99 6:02 AM bdcolen@earthlink.net wrote >The reality is that during WWII virtually all journalists were, for want of >a more elegant, less controversial term, tools of the United States >government in general and armed forces in particular. They were "on the >team," heavily censored, taking photos and filing copy intended, at least >partially, to bolster morale at home and in the trenches. That DOES NOT mean >that the journalists, both photo and print, weren't risking their lives - >they were - and weren't doing good work - they did. > >But the reality is also that Vietnam was really the first, and it may be >argued last, major American conflict in which the media was largely >unfettered. A good book that goes into the propaganda of news photography in America in all wars from the Spanish American at the turn of the century to Vietnam is "Shooting War" by Susan Moeller...a good book on the history of American War photography. Have not read the entire book yet but from what I have read it is right on with what BD is saying. The news photographers were used by the DOD as propaganda tools esp in WWI and WWII...in WWI they were so tightly on a leash that they could not even photograph the action...in WWII much more action, but were censored....In Korea a little looser leash; in Vietnam no holds barred. Heck in the Spanish American War the "journalists" (remember this was the age of Yellow Journalism) got involved in the battles carrying guns and leading charges..... Harrison McClary email: harrison@mcclary.net http://www.mcclary.net preview my book: http://www.volmania.com