"In war, truth may be the first casualty, but in Phillip Knightley's compelling examination of the war
correspondent as journalist-mouthpiece-propagandist, the truth survives unscathed. Myths are exploded, scoundrels
unmasked, the best and worst of the history of a century plainly revealed."
--Morley Safer
"The most comprehensive j'accuse of journalism as propaganda in the English language...Ought to be read by
every young reporter and by those who retain pride in our craft of truth-telling, no matter how unpopular or unpalatable
the truth."
--John Pilger, author of The New Rulers of the World
Publisher Web Site, September, 2004
Summary
Since Vietnam, Knightley reveals, governments have become much more adept at managing the media, as highlighted
in chapters on the Falklands War, the Gulf War, and the conflict between NATO and Serbia over Kosovo. And in a
new chapter on the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Knightley details even greater degrees of government
manipulation and media complicity, as evidenced by the "embedding" of reporters in military units and
the uncritical, openly patriotic coverage of these conflicts. "The age of the war correspondent as hero,"
he concludes, "appears to be over." Fully updated, The First Casualty remains required reading for anyone
concerned about freedom of the press, journalistic responsibility, and the nature of modern warfare.