An interesting side-note to Russia’s unexpected invasion of Ukraine is that it may be now the “first Social Media War,” with individuals in the country being besieged able share their real-time updates and videos from the frontlines. This ability to share updates and videos may help make sure that this war doesn’t end with the first casualty.

Reportage on Media and War

Since media intervention was the catalyst for its military actions, Spanish-American War has been called “the first media-driven war”. Many newspapers published sensationalistic articles while reporters were dispatched to Cuba to experience the war.

The conflict in Vietnam was renamed the “first TV war” 60 years later. It became the focus of extensive news coverage because a large number of U.S. troops were deployed to Vietnam in 1965’s spring. At the peak of the war in 1968 there was 600-plus accredited journalists who covered the conflict for U.S. television, radio, and wire services. While the daily briefings of the Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office were soon known as “the five-o’clock follies,” the War was frequently brought to American homes through the evening news.

In February 1968, Walter Cronkite – the anchor of CBS Evening News at the time and known as “The most trusted man in America” – made the bold statement that the conflict was “mired in stalemate.” Lyndon B. Johnson (then President) stated, “If Cronkite is gone, so is Middle America.”

The 1991 Invasion of Iraq – also known as the Gulf War – certainly made CNN a worldwide brand, and highlighted the power of cable news in such times.

First Internet War?

There is still much debate about what can be called the “first Internet War.” According to Wired Magazine, this distinction could be given to the Yugoslavian Civil Wars in the 1990s because it occurred with mass adoption of Internet technology and the birth online news outlets.

It was actually the 21st Century’s global warfare on terror (GWOT), following 9/11, that really showed how war can be covered in real-time. 

War in the Age of Social Media

While social media is just beginning to be fully understood, the power of the medium could have a significant impact on news coverage. Ukrainians can stream live from the front lines and anybody with a smartphone, including Winston Churchill, Edward R. Murrow or Ernie Pyle. Walter Cronkite, Christiane Amanpour, and Ernie Pyle can all play the roles of war correspondents.

William V. Pelfrey Jr. (Ph.D.), professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, said, “Social Media represents a transformational component of armed conflicts, unlike anything that we have ever seen,”

“Historically, media depictions of war were either provided …read more

Source:: Social Media Explorer

Author: Aaron