Conflict in Ukraine led by Putin: Modern era of war journalism on display
In the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the images of dead civilians on the streets of Bucha have served as a stark reminder of the difficulty in concealing war crimes. Russian forces, accused of bombarding Ukrainian towns and cities, killing civilians in cold blood, have been met with a relentless pursuit of truth by modern war journalists.
The invasion of Ukraine was based on lies, a fact that has been repeatedly exposed by Western correspondents, independent media outlets, and citizen journalists. These brave individuals, often referred to as eyewitnesses, have access to images and information that paint a grim picture of the atrocities committed by Russian forces.
Professor Tim Luckhurst, Principal of Durham University's South College, has been instrumental in understanding the advantages modern war correspondents have over their predecessors. The speed with which verified information can reach its audiences means that journalism can speak truth to power with renewed vigour during the war in Ukraine.
Today's war correspondents can aspire to offer a more complete first draft of history due to the instant filing via satellite internet and the availability of verified information. This unprecedented deluge of news from the frontlines has made it more difficult for either side to manipulate or hide the truth.
Organisations such as Bellingcat, a citizen investigative journalist collective, and the unprecedented use of open-source intelligence by journalists, researchers, and amateurs have played a significant role in verifying facts and uncovering falsehoods during the war in Ukraine.
The work of Professor Luckhurst, Principal of South College, Durham University, has been instrumental in this regard. He states that modern war correspondents have an advantage over their predecessors due to instant filing via satellite internet, which is not subject to direct censorship.
However, the risk of reporting war is still high. The deaths of journalists such as Fox News' Oleksandra Kushynova and Pierre Zakrzewski on March 14 in the village of Horenka north of Kyiv serve as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by those seeking to uncover the truth.
The ubiquity of eyewitness evidence and access to reliable journalism has provoked protests against the war in some Russian cities. The speed at which verified information can be disseminated has made it exceptionally difficult for the Russian government to conceal war crimes.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons License. For more thought-provoking articles on current events, visit our Thought Leadership section.
Philip Knightley, a journalist and historian, wrote in his authoritative history of war correspondents that the aims of the military and the media are irreconcilable. Yet, in the case of Ukraine, it appears that the media is proving to be a powerful force in exposing the truth and holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
Even historical conflicts, such as the British withdrawal from Dunkirk in 1940, the bombing of Dresden, and the nuclear strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, might have elicited a different reaction from the public if they had been available at the time, thanks to the power of modern war journalism.
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