Media Coverage of the War: A Commentary on Why Devils are in the Details

For their part the news networks39 reporters in the field have done well to make the best of a chaotic and unpredictable situation Reporting from cities under siege as well as Ukraine39s borders has captured poignantly the commitment of the Ukrainians to defend their homeland their suffering in flight to safety and their resilience as Russia39s increasingly brutal assaults frustrated by their exceptional defense have brought growing destruction to their cities and towns CNN is particularly noteworthy for its work deploying an impressive roster of international correspondents whose language skills and area knowledge have distinguished its coverage A halfadozen time zone away their stories on air along with those of other networks39 reporters have captured well the fears as well as the fortitude of Ukrainians awaiting that night39s or next day39s increasingly destructive attacksLess impressive the networks continue to treat analysis of the war like presidential election coverage 20 trotting out their map walls paid experts and a potpourri of retired military officers government officials and academic experts to provide color commentary Here too the challenge comes with the territory Without reporters literally on the battlefield or unique access to decisionmakers and the commanders on both sides the best of the retired general officer corps or other quotformersquot turned commentators can produce are reflections on the same thin gruel In many cases their insights are exceptionally valuable but their persistent presence raises a question What makes it so hard for the networks39 producers to find the experts on among other things Russian military doctrine Ukraine39s lessons learned after eight years of war in the Donbas or the weaponry now destroying Russian tanks by the dozen who could provide significant insights into why this war isn39t going as Putin plannedAmericans of course can dig into those issues with their browser if they choose but the gap between the oftensuperficial analysis of the networks39 highly paid help and the available facts is striking As the American role grows in the conflict and in Europe39s defense it39s also a level of details that like it or not viewers need to know For those interested here are several sites courtesy of a LinkedIn member who pointed out where to find such analysis and expertiseTo follow Russian disinformation Bellingcat provides superb analysisTo follow Russian equipment losses the Oryx Blog is updated regularlyGo here for an understanding of Russian operational conceptsAnd here to identify different Russian tank modelsThe Aviationist will help you understand the Russian air campaignHere is an overview of Russia39s nuclear postureTo think about the risks in a NATO nofly zone the Swedish Defense University provides a perspectiveFor those in the news business or interested in in exploring the war39s details thanks to David Kaplan at the Global Investigative Journalism Network here are several valuable resources and tools from GIJN as wellInvestigating Russia A GIJN Instant Toolkit Russia39s war on Ukraine has reporters wondering what Moscow is up to in their own countries This new GIJN toolkit helps them track Russian money political interference and disinformation around the world From oligarch planes and yachts to sanctions trackers you39ll find over 20 useful sites here15 Tips for Investigating War Crimes As our team watched apparent war crimes unfold before our eyes in Ukraine we commissioned this concise guide for journalists on how to document war crimes from targeting civilians to sexual violence Once a lifethreatening task war crime investigation is easier thanks to opensource reportingBellingcat39s Grozev on Russia39s Invasion of Ukraine Christo Grozev the executive director of Bellingcat gives his insight on the changing role of reporters in modernday conflict and discusses how his team is gathering and verifying data while investigating potential war crimes From the Reuters Institute for the Study of JournalismClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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Media Coverage of the War: A Commentary on Why Devils are in the Details

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Kent M. Harrington

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