All is fair in love and war…well this certainly seems to be the case.
The Americans certainly proved this point with the Jessica Lynch rescue. The footage shot by the American army themselves shows the rescue of their soldier Jessica Lynch from the Iraqis.
BBC video - Bush and Blair firing blanks?
The world watched on in baited breath when the news of the kidnap of Jessica Lynch was broadcast. Her rescue efforts made worldwide news. But what was it exactly that she was being rescued from? The Americans would say she was being held against her will by the enemy in horrific conditions and being subject to inhumane treatment. She was reported to suffer from stab wounds and faced physical abuse such as being slapped in the hospital she was ‘rescued’ from.
The Iraqis however, tell a different tale. They would say that they gave Lynch the best care possible, putting her in their only specialist bed and assigned a personal nurse who cared for her like she was her own daughter.
How could the story of the two parties differ so drastically? And how is that only one version was ever heard? Why was this version taken as truth? PR has the answer.
The self made footage by the American army was shown across news channels throughout the world. This is PR at its best. As the War Spin video demonstrated the best way to gain public support is by talking up the dangers, gain trust and play on the hearts and minds of the public. The Jessica Lynch rescue encompassed all of these elements.
By relaying the same message of danger over and over again, the message became truth in the eyes of the public.
“Today Propaganda connotates falsehood, lies, deceit, disinformation, and duplicity - practices that opposing groups and governments accuse each other of employing”. This quote from Public Relations, Strategies and Tactics by Dennis L Wilcox et al got me thinking. This certainly seems to be the case in relation to the propaganda put out by the U.K and U.S but how can this be? Isn’t it against our human inclination to lie and exaggerate?
In class we conducted an experiment in where we had to create a communications strategy for the Ministry of Defense in order to justify war on another nation. Low and behold the whole class lost its moral compass and came of ways of scare-mongering the public and accusing the other nation of being the ‘bad guy’, whilst we (the other nation) were the protectors.
All in all I guess this proves that all really is fair in love and war!
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