Media Coverage Of The Gulf War

Gulf War 1991

The Gulf War was a heavily televised war. For the first time people all over the world were able to watch live pictures of missiles hitting their targets and fighters taking off from aircraft carriers and bases. The showing of this war on television with live coverage of people being killed and destruction of another country was horrific. Two musicians who had an attitude toward the war and influential television were Mark Knopfler and Micheal Franti & The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Yet some people felt the Gulf War being picked up by the media in mass numbers was good because one could have live, instantaneous updates of war action. The media coverage of the war was harmful to the United States people, because it was
promoting war and killing, while there was minimal censorship to what was shown. Mark Knopfler wrote the song “Brothers in Arms” in 1985 about the friendships between soldiers developed through shared battle experience. The song expresses a message about peace and justice that have always played a part in protest and campaigning anti-war demonstrations and gatherings. Many have joined this popular music genre particularly when sung by Knopfler, and his views seem to have become a standard for the way civil societies are run and the conduct of international relations. The sung was written approximately five years before the Gulf War was even fought. “Brothers in Arms” was not directly intended for Gulf War. Seeing life from a new aspect, the music became an anthem for the story of this war. One can see that from the lyrics below the song was not about specifically the Gulf War, but rather ideas of war are unjust and senseless.
“These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you 'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you 'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms

Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I 've witnessed your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

There 's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones

Now the sun 's gone to hell
And the moon 's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it 's written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We 're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms”

(Knopfler, Mark) Mark Knopfler was subliminally putting forward more just and humane alternatives to the ways of modern warfare. The best part of the song express viewpoints vividly that war was the problem with the brotherhood and unity of the world, and every man must not die for such causes. The music encourages people to struggle with social and political questions of what fighting is all meant for.
Some believe the media coverage of the Persian Gulf War was helpful to the United States.
The live coverage was new in its instantaneousness. News companies gained much popularity for their coverage, because the American people where very interested in this landmark event of the early nineteen-nineties. By the United States people have seen the destruction of another country; it makes them feel dominant, powerful and in a controlling position. The public needs to know they are the superpower of the world. The night vision missile attacks shown on television illustrate the military tactics, strength and experience of the American troops. Iraq was put to shame(Duffy 52). The war was finished in a quick month and a half (Fisher) .Without the war being televised many programmes would not even bother thinking about what was going on outside their homes, especially in another country. News stations felt the public needed to see what exactly went on in the Gulf War; therefore televising night vision missile attacks was a positive for
them.
Michael Franti and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy rapped a song with a reputably strong political message.
The nation was under the influence of one drug. That was how the song got its name “Television, the Drug of the Nation”. The ‘drug’ symbolizes anything that was undesirable in the nation’s society. Lyrics spit through the rhymes of Franti’s mouth show that he was strongly opposed to the side against putting forth war, murder and sex on television (Fitz). An example was in the Heroes ' best number, "Television, the Drug of the Nation," Franti raps, "Imagination is sucked out of our children by a cathode ray nipple / Television is the only wet-nurse that would create a cripple." Through the social activism of this one musician and band, people were reminded of the things they were letting their children watch. Television was breeding ignorance into the brains of children and the
uneducated.
People actually got to see the inane destruction that was caused, and Michael powerfully opposed (Michael Franti). In his song, Franti makes many noteworthy points towards the Persian Gulf War. Nine lines of the song were directly referencing the war .Television was the place where war was redefined. He told through the story of the song how televisions new oxymoronic language makes perfect sense. Examples of this were civilian death was known as collateral or being killed by one’s own army was known as friendly fire. These oxymoron’s made perfect sense to the television stations that broadcasted this type of programs.
Michael Franti sent strong messages through not only this song, but many others recordings he sang and wrote. Far more views than those listed before were part of Franti’s lifestyle. This man was very set in his ways and wanted to spread the word to others. Very strong messages were sent through his music. He was very successful getting his point out to the people because he almost went gold with the record. That means others liked his music and the views that went along with it. Thousands believed that television was bad for to showing the things they did.
In conclusion, it can never be proven true what side was right with the debatable point of televising the missile attacks of the Gulf War. It is more or less probable shown through both Micheal Franti and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy along with Mark Knopfler that the anti-televising of the war was a much better attitude toward life. Through the songs these men sang, their views were expressed to the world. One must oppose the destruction of another nation’s country for the political gain of ones own. The basic message was television showed bad things, and then the viewers would think and do bad things.

Works Cited

Duffy, Michael “Searching for a Strategy.” Time 67 (1991) :51-53.
Fisher, Ian “A Nation at War.” New York Times 12 Dec. 1990: A3.
Fitz, Christopher “Spark Magazine.” Cartoon. Dec. 1991. 26 Nov. 2006 <Chrisfitz.net/uimages/gulf-war>.
“Knopfler, Mark.” Encyclopedia of Popular Music. 4th ed. 1998.
“Michael Franti CBC Interview.” Perf. Michael Franti. 2006. 20 Nov. 2006 <youtube.com/results?search_michael+frantic=search>.