How Real are Reality Shows?

The classification of War Coverage as a reality show reminds me of a movie I once watched, and would like to recommend to all students of media and journalism. The movie was none other than ``Wag the Dog``.

The movie goes one step ahead of reality show style war coverage, it is about a war which is actually ``produced`` for public consumption.

We sure live in some weird times. Art imitates life and vice versa. In the end it all appears to be one big interconnected illusion.

Nice try at writing on a subject which requires a lot of detail.

``‘Embedded Journalism’, a new reporting technique has been in practice which shows the reporters stationed in the field``

Your categorization of this kind of journalism as a ``reality show`` is apt. In fact, the whole war is packaged as a reality show for american viewers who sit on couches, munching chips, and cheering on. War is a cost free venture for those who do not have sons and daughters in the field.

As for embedded journalism, it is kind of hard to be objective when your personal safety is dependent on the soldiers you are accompanying. The counterparts of these military embedded journalists are those who are embedded in the civilian populations. Since they are able to report on what the military embedded journalists could not - that is the killings of the civilians, they get targetted as al-jazeerah`s reporters found out the hard way.