Ethics in America: Under Orders, Under Fire

[gilliam]

Peter Jennings of World News Tonight and ABC, and Mike Wallace of 6o Minutes and CBS. Ogletree brought them into the same hypothetical war. He asked Jennings to imagine that he worked for a network that had been in contact with the enemy North Kosanese government. After much pleading, the North Kosanese had agreed to let Jennings and his news crew into their country, to film behind the lines and even travel with military units. Would Jennings be willing to go? Of course, Jennings replied. Any reporter would-and in real wars reporters from his network often had. But while Jennings and his crew are traveling with a North Kosanese unit, to visit the site of an alleged atrocity by American and South Kosanese troops, they unexpectedly cross the trail of a small group of American and South Kosanese soldiers. With Jennings in their midst, the northern soldiers set up a perfect ambush, which will let them gun down the Americans and Southerners, every one. What does Jennings do? Ogletree asks. Would he tell his cameramen to “Roll tape!” as the North Kosanese opened fire? What would go through his mind as he watched the North Kosanese prepare to ambush the Americans? Jennings sat silent for about fifteen seconds after Ogletree asked this question…Before I link to their answer, what would yours be?

 

[Almeria]

Ok, I’ll bite.

First thing, I’d roll tape, and if I had a satellite link-up, I’d be sending the feed across immediately so that no tapes could be confiscated and destroyed by the NK’s. I’d go to the commander of the unit and try to convince him not to do the ambush (filming the entire thing).

Let’s presume the commander doesn’t waver, and lets us continue to roll tape. What do we have then? Say we have a film crew of 5 (me, producer, camera man, sound man, production assistant), and a NK unit with a minimum of 8 full armed, well trained soldiers (it’s probably a lot more than 8 men, though). There’s no way us 5 can take on the 8. So, we keep rolling the footage, for several reasons.

1. The reason we are over there is to film situations like this. Getting footage of this would be a newsman’s best and worst fear. To stand there and not film would be failing in your duties as a newsman. Remember, you’re just filming–you’re not editing for public consumption. What you’re filming shows the horrors of war. It makes war more real. One of the reasons Matthew Brady’s Civil War photos were so controversal was that they pulled no punches–they showed what happened in war. You have a live opportunity to record this, and a moral obligation as well. If you weren’t going to film something like this, you shouldn’t have come over in the first place.
2. While I don’t think our current news providers would do this, I think there are important military reasons to film the ambush and pass the footage along to the US military. Data on how the troop movement was discovered and how the ambush was set up are important military intelligence that the US military needs to have. The film also provides documentation as to how the battle commensed, and marks the passing of life on both sides. Again, very important military intelligence. In my opinion, you have a moral obligation to record and pass along the film and any accompanying notes to the US military.

While I see many of our news providers doing number 1, I don’t see them doing #2 on their own free will. I can see the government requiring #2 to let the newsmen go into NK, but I simply don’t see the newsies giving their footage to the government with anything short of a court order.

 

[vern_humphrey]

King Post 30, this is Ugly Ambush 6. Spot report. Over.

Ambush 6, this is King Post 30. Send your report. Over.

This is Ambush 6. At 1315 hours Zulu, coordinates 345214, Ambush element detected North Kosanese in ambush position. Ambush maneuvered against North Kosanese element. Action ended at 1345 hours.

Casualties. Friendly none. Enemy seven KIA, including two individuals who appear to be caucasian, and were carrying a video camera.

End spot repot. Out.