Good Embed: How the White House and Pentagon improved favorability of coverage through embedding journalists

The US Government’s decision in 2003 to allow embedded journalists to cover the war in Iraq represented a significant change in the attitude of military commanders to their relationship with journalists. This marked the end of four decades of anti-media sentiment. The new relationship was predicated on the understanding that the media has the capacity to shape public attitudes towards the conflict. This paper explores whether the US military’s strategy, which was underpinned by a desire that the media produce positive coverage, worked. It also explores whether objectivity, a journalistic staple, is a victim of such a policy.