Don't Mention the War

The Australian Defence Force, the Media and the Afghan Conflict

Kevin Foster

• Publisher: Monash University Publishing
• Year: 2013
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781922235190
• Subtopic: Media & Communications Industry
• Index: History

Uncover the untold story of Australia's longest war. Why was the Afghan conflict, Australia's worst reported war, shrouded in secrecy? Kevin Foster's Don't Mention the War delves into the complex relationship between the Australian Defence Force, the media, and the Afghan conflict, revealing the hidden truths behind the headlines.

This insightful analysis explores the political forces, censorship, and public relations strategies that shaped the media's coverage, leaving the Australian public largely uninformed. Discover how the ADF's mistrust of the media and the government's control over information contributed to a distorted narrative of the war.

• Gain a deeper understanding of military-media relations.
• Analyze the factors that shaped war coverage.
• Examine the impact of political influence on military reporting.

For scholars, journalists, and anyone seeking objective information about the Afghan conflict, this is a critical examination of power, media, and the cost of silence.

Table of contents

• Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
• Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
• Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
• Chapter 1
• Mistaking the lessons of Vietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
• Chapter 2
• The ‘feel free to fuck off’ approach to public relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
• Chapter 3
• Military–media relations in the Netherlands, Canada and Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
• Chapter 4
• Bus tours, dogs and ponies: covering the ADF in Afghanistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
• Chapter 5
• Public opinion and political debate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
• Chapter 6
• Reputation management and redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
• Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
• Works cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
• Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161