Is there too much media focus on soldiers deaths at the moment?

Richdog

Richdog

Richdog

Caporegime
Joined
8 Sep 2005
Posts
27,714
Location
Utopia
Let me just start by saying that ANYONE who joins our armed forces and puts their life on the line for their country has my full and respect, and I do not mean in any way to demean the deaths of those who have lost their lives in these recent conflicts..

However i'm noticing an increasingly frequency from the media at the moment where the soldiers deaths are really being focussed on greatly on an individual basis. A couple were on the news just now for around 10 minutes weeping their hearts out for losing their son and saying how they will never see him again. Now I genuinely feel for them and their loss, and I don't think such things should go un-noticed... but their sons and daughters signed up to become soldiers, and they did so in the clear knowledge that their life was at risk... and I don't personally see the need to have a huge media uproar every time a soldier dies. For example today there was all the reporting about the "first female soldier to die in the conflict". Why should it make any difference what the sex is? Was she not doing the same job as all the other soldiers?

I just feel it's almost as if all of a sudden we've realised that soldiers die in combat... and i'm not sure if it's just because these conflicts are so comparatively small in loss of life compared to previous "wars"... or whether it's the start of a new trend, but I just don't see the need for making a huge uproar every time a soldier dies, and I don't see the need to have their families paraded around on TV breaking down in front of the cameras. The brave souls out there know full well the risk they are under, and how dangerous the situation is... they are there to do a job or die trying. The death of a solider, while sad, should also be a positive thing... the understated and tactful celebration of someone who fought bravely and died fighting for what they believe in. What makes the country worth fighting for. I just can't help feeling all of this focus and attention on the grieving and suffering of the families is detracting from the reason they died in the first place, serving their country, and I can't see how it benefits either the public or the armed forces dramatising each and every death and focussing on that aspect of the loss.

I don't even know if the above makes any sense... it's a hard thing to put into words without coming accross as cold or callous. Does anyone get where i'm coming from with this? :confused:
 
Last edited:
I think its an absolute necessity to remind us of the dead.

My friend Dale (rather my brother's friend) was the 100th solider to die in Afghanistan, he was a marine and his car ran over a mind. To say the local community is devestated is an understatement. People are absolutely gutted and everyone I know has been affected by it.

Its very easy to think of soldiers as a mere number or a mindless drone. They are not. They are men with loving families and friends, and we need to remember that and recognise how sorely every single one is missed.
 
It's the media flavour of the month, as was missing children and knife crime for example, in the last few months.

I personally think it's a very good thing that the news is focusing on the soliders. They deserve the attention and support.
 
Last edited:
Nitefly said:
I think its an absolute necessity to remind us of the dead.

My friend Dale (rather my brother's friend) was the 100th solider to die in Afghanistan, he was a marine and his car ran over a mind. To say the local community is devestated is an understatement. People are absolutely gutted and everyone I know has been affected by it.

Its very easy to think of soldiers as a mere number or a mindless drone. They are not. They are men with loving families and friends, and we need to remember that and recognise how sorely every single one is missed.
Click to expand...

As I said... reminders of the deaths are absolutely necessary to keeping us aware that there is a human cost to these conflicts... I just don't think there should be such sensationalisation of each and every death.
 
Dont think theres too much recently, only tonight and a bit yesterday from what i've noticed?

Besides I think the press do it to show (like someone else has said) that they arent just drones and people should not forget that british soldiers are still there and some are dying in what seems like a forgotten war in Afghanistan since the Iraq conflict
 
They do love to over hype things, I think next week/month we'll be hearing nothing but inflation, food prices and how a recession could spell the end of mankind
 
i think there needs to be more of this happening i want to know whats happening to are lads out there, especially when ive got friends/family over in afgan and iraq

and the way you have put things in your post, to me you sound very ignorant
 
uknowist said:
Besides I think the press do it to show (like someone else has said) that they arent just drones and people should not forget that british soldiers are still there and some are dying in what seems like a forgotten war in Afghanistan since the Iraq conflict
Click to expand...

Nah, they do it cause it gets viewers.
 
Trust me, when you've had your friend / colleagues' blood all over you you dont see the recent press coverage as 'sensationalism'. You see it as something of a relief that you are not forgotten back at home.

What you are hearing about is the outright deaths....you dont get to hear of the many who are being injured- and are laying in beds in a field hospital right now, listening to rockets landing 50 metres away.

Yes, to join is a choice.....to remain in- despite the danger- is heroic.

RIP friends & comrades.
 
Richdog said:
As I said... reminders of the deaths are absolutely necessary to keeping us aware that there is a human cost to these conflicts... I just don't think there should be such sensationalisation of each and every death.
Click to expand...

I think one of the major reasons for the coverage of soldiers deaths is that many people see the war as unjust, and thus while they signed up to join the army, they didn't sign up to die in an unjust war. I think that's probably the point.
 
I don't think so, other than the fact some news seems to be pushing it as a reason to leave these countrys.

Which annoys me, they should report the news not try and change policy.

Carzy said:
I think one of the major reasons for the coverage of soldiers deaths is that many people see the war as unjust, and thus while they signed up to join the army, they didn't sign up to die in an unjust war. I think that's probably the point.
Click to expand...

I don't see how it can be seen as unjust, they sign up to do what the goverment want them to so, that is what they sign up for. I think you'll find almost ll the soldiers are fine with it, it's just some of the public who think otherwise.
 
Nitefly said:
Its very easy to think of soldiers as a mere number or a mindless drone. They are not. They are men with loving families and friends, and we need to remember that and recognise how sorely every single one is missed.
Click to expand...
What about the enemy soldiers? They are exactly the same, but we get no mention of them, we don't even know how many are killed each day. I guarantee its a hell of a lot more than we've lost.

Lets put their names and families on TV, maybe we'd feel a little guilt for fighting this pointless 'war'. War? They're a bunch of civilians with guns and bombs strapped to thier chest, fighting for a belief. Advanced weaponry isn't going to win out against that.
 
Nah, we should respect and remember the dead who have fallen in battle. I think so anyway. People who die for their country and their people deserve to be Remembered in the media!
 
UnusualSuspect said:
What about the enemy soldiers? They are exactly the same, but we get no mention of them, we don't even know how many are killed each day. I guarantee its a hell of a lot more than we've lost.

Lets put their names and families on TV, maybe we'd feel a little guilt for fighting this pointless 'war'. War? They're a bunch of civilians with guns and bombs strapped to thier chest, fighting for a belief. Advanced weaponry isn't going to win out against that.
Click to expand...

yeah tbh i dont really think showing terrorists point of view(which is mainly what they are, not soldiers) on the news is going to go down well

"and heres the brother of ickbashabeem who blew himself up and killed 2 british soldiers"

"death to all british soldiers, im glad my brother did his job, my only disappointment was he didnt kill more"
 
Last edited:
I haven't really noticed the deaths being focused on more than usual myself. It was only focused on a bit because of the 100th death and that was seen as some sort of 'milestone', well that was the impression I got from the BBC anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom