In the first Gulf War, the press bitterly complained about being confined to a single room in Kuwait where an army spokesman fed them unverifiable stories
So this time, the army went to the other extreme, with embedded reporters everywhere. But what have we , the public, gained from it?
I’ve seen hundreds of 45-second video reports showing a group of 5 tanks rolling down the road. So what?
The reporter looks glamorous in his flak jacket. But my knowlege of the war is still dependent on that army spokesman back in Kuwait (or Qatar), telling me what the big picture looks like, how many thousands of soldiers are approaching Baghdad, etc.
The embedded reporters add a bit of color and the smell of sweat, but is it news?