When Images Compete as Fiercely as Armies

In the reading " When Images Compete as Fiercely as Armies " we read how the television networks are not so different, in that they only televise half the story. It is obvious that each will televise what is in the best interest for that station, which is usually the negative acts committed by the opposing factions. The media stations will exploit the human side of individual by showing horrific pictures and any atrocities committed to soldiers or civilians. Arab stations are expressing their concern that in the past U.S. media stations hads only shown negative pictures about them, now these stations are showing pictures which contain horrible clips of how the Arab people have suffered. A description of " a small Iraqi child who had died during an American attack, with the back of the child's skull and head missing " (page 1) was shown on Arab television, but not U.S.
"Apparently the American government has forgotten that freedom of press is a double -edge sword that can be dangerous for the big democratic powers as it is for dictatorial regimes." (Page 2) This is an interesting statement because the United States believes in equal press, but they do not want to have negative press coverage against them during war time. The final outcome is that you will usually get the news media portraying the war one way, which depends on what side they are on.