U.S. military, media link under fire

[deadparrot]

The U.S. military’s ability to handpick members of the media to report on foreign interventions influences the media’s characterization of the interventions and in turn, influences public opinion, a University of Maine professor said Monday.

Dr. Shannon Martin, professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at the University of Maine, presented her published research on the placement of reporters in foreign countries during U.S. military interventions abroad, and its influence on news delivery and public opinion.

Martin spoke to the Bangor Foreign Policy Forum, a group of area professionals that gathers regularly to learn about international issues. Monday’s discussion attracted 28 people, who listened over breakfast at the Bangor Public Library.

The U.S. military has become increasingly involved in selecting reporters to gather information in the form of "media pools," Martin said. In a media pool, reporters convene and share information they have gathered with other media.

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