Beware Foreign Entanglements?
Seeing news organizations negotiating with foreign militaries isn't that unusual -- access always comes with a price, such as embedding -- but it does seem escalated this time. If the next conflict involves more parties, say four or five, the negotiating calculus will be even more perilous.Ideally, editors and producers ought to put their collective foot down: ignore demands for censorship, and make circumspect, judicious decisions about battle footage on a case-by-case basis. Rockets may look cool, but there is no need to amplify the risk to reporters in an already dangerous battle zone just for higher ratings. At the same time, battle footage is necessary to portray the reality of war; the sensitive details it betrays must serve journalistic values, clarifying and giving context for viewers and readers. If, in their decisions, editors and producers independently take into account the possibility of losing official access or angering reckless militias, they can remain sensitive to troop movements and civilian safety without signing off on anyone's demands.