12. Culture Clash: Why the Media and the Military Can’t Get Along

Journalists and members of the profession of arms have this much in common: both groups flatter themselves that they play a unique and vitally important role in supporting and defending freedom and democracy. Despite this commonality of missions, there is a long-standing and profound antagonism between the media and the military that has its roots in the very different cultures of the two professions. This clash of cultures is more than just the media’s desire for openness and transparency on the one hand, and the military’s need for secrecy and security on the other. Rather, it has its roots in the concept of honour at the heart of the military ethos, a concept which is alien to both the media and the civilian institutions that the media covers.