Conversation

Remembering how CNN basically invented round-the-clock live war reality tv firehose in 1991. Before that war coverage was very different. Newspaper summaries, magazine photos, very careful and staged highlight reels. It was mesmerizing and new in 1991.
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Before gulf war 1, war coverage was a few minutes in half-hour evening news, usually just Ken-Burns panning over stills. Video was rare and usually of officials making statements or troops on the move to the front, rather than the fighting. I’m thinking Iran-Iraq war etc.
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India liberalized cable tv just in time for us to get CNN highlights via the national news channel (it took a few more years to get cnn directly iirc). I was in 11th grade and I remember waiting for the coverage eagerly. It was all very exciting.
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Thankfully Ukrainian forces deployed to front lines are not sharing videos. It could compromise their positions, not to mention simple lack of focus on what actually matters. What we do see is mostly aftermath and small fights in urban areas.
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And now smartphones have taken it one step further. Actual president of an actual country in an actual shooting war taking selfies on the battlefield. Extraordinary.