Nintendo Wars: The Media and the Persian Gulf Conflicts

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Nintendo WarsThe Media and the Persian Gulf
Conflicts
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Small Group DiscussionMilitary and Media
Technology

1. What new military technologies have changed
   warfare since the 1960s? (4 examples)
2. What new communication technologies have changed
   media coverage since the 1960s? (4 examples)

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Vietnam (1965-1975)
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Media in Vietnam

• Mainstream media stayed away from disturbing
  images.
• American public led protests
• Seymour Hirsch
• Walter Cronkite

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The Persian Gulf War (1991)

• Brief Historical Overview
• Muzzling the Press?
• Pooling Reporters
• Peter Arnett, Baghdad Live

Baghdad Sky (1991)
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Gulf War Primary Sources
Take a minute to read the primary source quotes
from the Gulf War era military and media
personnel. Write down your reactions to the
pieces. Which is most persuasive? Why?
Walter Cronkite (2003)
See vocabulary.
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Primary Source Vocabulary
Disaffectionisolation and hostility.Dispatchesr
eports from the field of battle.
Dispositionphysical placement and movement.
Divergenceseparating. Inadvertentnot
intended. Moraleattitude of soldiers.
Reminiscentreminds you of something.
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Iraq War (2003)

• Historical Background
• Embedding Reporters

Pentagon Briefing (2004)
Embedded Journalism?
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Maps China War (2018-2021)
China Taiwan in the Asian Context
Chinese Invasion of Taiwan (January 22, 2019)
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Media CoverageWar With China (2018-2021) How
should the media cover it?
MediaMilitaryAmerican Public

• 1) US Naval combat with Chinese ships in the
  Straights of Taiwan. (US Casualties)
• 2) Chinese Marines invade Taiwan.
• 3) Chinese Air Force begins bombing of American
  bases on Guam.
• 4) US Air Force begins bombing campaign over
  Beijing.
• 5) US marines landing in Taiwan.
• 6) FBI investigations and arrests of Chinese
  nationals in San Francisco and LA.

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Media Vs. Wikileaks

• What are the differences between the media and
  Wikileaks?
• Should organizations like Wikileaks be provided
  the same protections as the media in terms of
  speech and confidential sources?
• Watch Julian Assange and Wikileaks

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Free-write

• Respond to the following question in 6-7
  sentences with specific references to what we
  have been discussing
• In what ways are the presidents powers inhibited
  by the media? Are Americans sacrificing safety
  and security for the sake of a free press?

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Invasion of Taiwan as Crisis

• What values determined response and use of press?
• What factors determine choice
• US Navy mobilizes in Straits of Taiwan
• US aerial bombing campaign over Beijing
• US defense of Taiwan
• FBI investigations of Chinese nationals

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Bibliography
W. Lance Bennet and David L. Paletz, eds., Taken
by Storm The Media, Public Opinion, and US
Foreign Policy in the Gulf War (Chicago
University of Chicago Press, 1994). Hamid
Mowlana, George Gerbner, and Herbert I. Schiller,
Triumph of the Image The Medias War in the
Persian Gulf, a Global Perspective (Boulder
Westview Press, 1992). Hedrik Smith, ed., The
Media and the Gulf War The Press and Democracy
in Wartime (Washington Seven Locks Press, 1992).