Press must vigorously cover America's
wars, asserts author in J-school visit

By Joe Slemberger
J-School Web Reporter         

Click on photo to see a short video

Photo by Eric Connolly

Author John Byrne Cooke talks with UM Journalism professors during a brown bag lunch in Don Anderson Hall.  Cooke spoke to UM students Thursday about his book, “Reporting the War: Freedom of the Press from the American Revolution to the War on Terrorism.”

The theme of government censorship of the press during times of war runs through John Byrne Cooke’s new book, “Reporting the War: Freedom of the Press from the American Revolution to the War on Terrorism,” and made Cooke a natural to spend time with Prof. Clem Work’s media law class on Jan. 31.

“This just fits in perfectly with what we’re discussing, which is the revolutionary beginning of the First Amendment,” Work said.

Cooke, who is the son of the late Alistair Cooke and great-grandnephew to Ralph Waldo Emerson, focused his book on 12 American wars and the way the press covered each one. The book is packed full of interesting details, but Cooke said he did not intend to drive home any single specific message when he wrote it.

“I wrote this book because since 9/11, our civil liberties have been endangered by things like the Patriot Act,” Cooke said.  “When we sense danger there’s an impulse in the government and the public to feel safe.  And in some instances we trade our civil liberties for safety without thinking.”  

During his speech to Work’s class, Cooke focused primarily on the Vietnam War and how its coverage and government censorship differ from that of the current war. The focus is fitting for a man who was road manager for Janis Joplin during the 60s, a musician in his own right and a photographer who documented much of the musical counter culture scene of the day.
“There is much less gore on TV from this war,” Cooke said.  “The government has severely censored what we see these days.”

During the Vietnam War there were many more photos and videos of fallen soldiers and body bags arriving on planes, Cooke said.  Those images allowed the American public to “feel the cost of the war in their gut.”
 
“We see much less of that content from this war and as a result American’s have become bored with it,” Cooke said.

Cooke said that although the coverage of this war is much more diverse than it was during Vietnam, the press has allowed other events to distract America’s attention from the fighting. 
“The press has done a great job of covering this war, the coverage has been as good as anything in the past,” Cooke said.  “But they haven’t done a good job of sticking with the hot topic.  They’ve allowed things like the elections to take the front page and steal attention from the war.”

According to Cooke, the absence of a single significant war correspondent has contributed to America’s  willingness to turn away from news of the war.

“There are some great correspondents out there, John Burns of the New York Times comes to mind,” Cooke said.  “But we’re missing that single significant source like Walter Cronkite or Ernie Pyle.”

However, Cooke, who now lives in Jackson, Wyo., said this war is probably one of the most difficult and dangerous wars the press has had to cover.

“Vietnam was an extremely dangerous war to cover because journalists were primarily on their own in every facet,” Cooke said.  “But the war in Iraq is an exceedingly dangerous war to cover as well, with different obstacles and dangers.”  

Cooke said that in spite of the uncertainty in war coverage and attempts by the government to censor the press, the state of journalism is stable.

  “Much has changed over time,” Cooke said.  “But today, the press is freer than ever before.”

Listen to an interview of Cooke by KUFM's Sally Mauk (begins 8:22 into the broadcast)

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