TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01 - TRADOC - U.S. Army

TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01In the theater the forces of all sides, and in particular the political leaders andmilitary commanders, have a symbiotic relationship with the media: the medianeeds the military because they are the cause and source of the story; thecommanders need the media to tell the story to their force’s advantage, but also totell their own people and government how well they are doing, or at worst, howgloriously they are losing. In addition, commanders and leaders alike need themedia in order to learn the perceptions of the other side, and to explain their ownversion of events. To this extent the media is a crucially useful element in modernconflicts for attaining the political objective of winning the will of the people. Ithas become the medium that connects the people, government and the army, thethree sides of the Clausewitzian triangle.Smith then goes on to explain the cultural divide that separates the commander and themedia.The political leader and the commander expect the reporter to tell his story as hewould wish it to be told and as he told it to the journalist. But the journalist seesthem as a source of his story, and the events and meetings of the day are presentedto support this story rather than that of the political or military leaders. . . themedia claim to be objective, and tend not to be, whilst the political and militaryleaders persistently expect the objectivity of a shared perception where one is mostunlikely to exist.Two points are essential. First, the media plays an essential role now and in the future incontemporary conflict. Second, the commander sees him or herself and his or her force as thecenter of the story. However, the media sees the military as simply one actor in a set of events,statements, conditions, actors, and victims, about which the reporter writes from his vantagepoint. The principal cultural perspective the reporter brings to his task is the faith that he or shedoes so objectively. Army leaders at all levels must understand this view and learn tocommunicate with the press in full knowledge that the press has its own objectives.3-5. ConclusionThe cost of failing to establish and maintain an Army founded in strong moral ethical values,aligned with those of the Nation, is so unacceptable that this chapter rises to near primacy in theconveying the importance of studying the human dimension . Yet it is but one of three principalcomponents that make up the human dimension. Much of the foregoing moral componentdiscussion is timeless, well-established treatment of enduring truths about human nature inwarfare. What is truly new is the growing complexity of future operations that in turn increasesambiguity confronting the future Soldier with decisions that in the past fell to far more senior andmore experienced leaders. The challenges facing future Soldiers outlined in this chapter are justpart of the equation leading to a model of holistic fitness essential to meeting tomorrow’sdemands. Consider these challenges in context with the physical and cognitive components ofthe human dimension treated in the next two chapters.76