Embedding Journalists in Military Combat Units: How Embedding Alters Television News Stories

• DOI: 10.1207/s15327825mcs0803_1
• Publication Date: 2005-07-11T21:12:50Z
• Authors: Michael Pfau; Elaine M. Wittenberg; Carolyn Jackson; Phil Mehringer; Rob Lanier; Michael Hatfield; Kristina Brockman
• Keywords: 0508 media and communications; 05 social sciences; 16. Peace & justice

This study compared television news coverage provided by embedded and nonembedded reporters during the first 5 days of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Content analysis was conducted of television news broadcasts about OIF by ABC, CBS, CNN, and NBC to determine whether news reports were different and, if so, how. The results indicated that, compared to nonembedded stories, embedded reports were more favorable in overall tone toward the military and in depiction of individual troops. Also, embedded news stories were structurally different from nonembedded reports: compared to nonembedded stories, embedded reports featured more episodic frames and, as a result, conveyed more positive affect and more positive relational messages.