What has been the traditional role of journalism in relation to US politics? How have journalists carried out that role?

Journalists have at times in history played the role of a mouthpiece for the US government and its politics.

            But not during the Vietnam War.  Vietnam changed everything.  I have studied the effect that the Vietnam War had on journalism in multiple Communication classes.  Journalists were exposing the atrocities of war by reporting straight from the war zone.  By reporting live off the ground, the journalists were capturing the violence against innocent Vietnamese civilians.  It was this gruesome footage that is thought to have altered the American public support of the war.  The public attitude turned against the war.  From then on, the journalists, like the American public, became suspicious of the US government and its politics.  Now journalism tried to take the stance of an advocate for its American audience.      

            But of course, journalism has had its recent mishaps.  Journalism lapsed as our heroic watchdog and reverted back to its old lazy reporting ways with the Iraq war.  In Professor Lisa Cohen’s News in the 21^st Century class, we watched a video that explained how the Iraqi celebration of the invasion of Baghdad was completely staged.  Every major news station was present to capture a few Iraqis dancing around the large Saddam Hussein statue.  After the celebration was leaked to be staged, it became obvious simply from the demographics represented.  When one looks closely, one can see that there are no women or children present in this small crowd of merrymakers.  The US government and military wanted to pretend that they had the Iraq war under control and the journalists agreed to play along with the game.  This is a grim example of the corrupt relationship between journalism and politics.

            The Baghdad Saddam Hussein statue incident is a “groupthink” situation similar to what Coolican’s article refers to.  He says, “What should we political reporters be doing with our time? When is our supposed “analysis” simply a rehashing of the machinery’s narrative?  I’m pretty sure we [are] repeating groupthink we’ve read or heard elsewhere.”

            Journalists must return to the days of Vietnam where they question US politics with a critical eye.  Journalists must remain the 4^th estate, the watchdogs.  This is an important role that cannot be swayed, jaded, or deteriorated by groupthink. 

- What are other historical incidents where groupthink ruled the media’s relationship with politics?

- Can you identify any current situations that are dangerously close to groupthink?

- How can groupthink ever be a positive thing?