What if...2004 style News Media in 1944

[Peter Cowan]

Just how would June 1944 have played with a modern style news media ?

Some thoughts:

How would people have reacted to journalists reporting the bombing of German and French schools and hospitals? (I'm assuming, of course, that these are the only targets that Allied bombers would be shown to actually hit - apart from the odd pharmaceutical or baby milk factory).

Omaha Beach - how would pictures of dead GI's floating in the surf affect opinion back home?

The slow advance inland - would 'talking head' generals have criticised the actions of Bradley and Montgomery ? Would there be calls for a more aggressive leader ? (Actually , this one isn't too far fetched)

The actions of the liberated French - The way the French treated alleged collaborators - How many Human Rights lawyers would be booking tickets to France ?

Even before the landings - Would a journalist produce evidence of a fake Allied army ? Or leak the information that Normandy was the target ?

A journalist leaks evidence that some German equipment is vastly superior to that of the Allies.

Reports show that our ally, the Soviet Union, is involved in widespread oppression and ethnic cleansing.

Any other thoughts ?

 

[Torqumada]

You posit that the media has changed, but not the rest of the world. In that case, there wouldn't be a huge outcry about Human right's violations of collaborators by the French. I am not even sure if the term "Human Right's Violation" was even in the English language prior to the founding of the UN. Don't ahve to worry about all of those Lawyers. Of course, if they want to go near a hostile war zone, whats a few lost lawyers.

Now, if you're talking just about the technology of the day and its ability to get the news to the people, it still wouldn't happen. The US military had a much firmer hold on the media of that day than in 2004. Things would be heavily censored, since the war would be a true life and death struggle. There wouldn't be a live new feed off of the beaches of Normandy. The military wouldn't allow it. Stories coming out of the Soviert Union would be even more censored. You might have more armchair quarterbacking at home, but I beleive there were laws against sedition in effect during the war. Things wouldn't last long as a few reporters were locked up and the retired general called back to active duty and sent to the far reaches of the globe.

Torqumada