The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Shaping the Narrative: How Journalists Covered the Global War on Terror
English Summary
The panel argues that journalistic coverage of the Global War on Terror significantly shaped public understanding and subsequent U.S. foreign policy decisions. Key evidence highlights a shift in media reporting, noting that early coverage was characterized by deep immersion with local populations, while later accounts became increasingly formalized and geographically distant from conflict zones. This suggests that maintaining proximity to ground-level realities is critical for accurate intelligence gathering, implying that policymakers must be wary of narratives shaped by detached or overly sanitized media portrayals.
中文摘要
該小組指出，關於「全球反恐戰爭」的新聞報導，極大地形塑了公眾認知，進而影響了美國的外交政策決策。關鍵證據顯示，媒體報導呈現出轉變：早期報導著重於深入當地民眾的生活；然而，後期的報導卻逐漸趨向形式化，且與衝突區域產生地理上的疏離。這暗示著維持與地面現實的接近性對於準確的情資蒐集至關重要，進而提醒政策制定者必須警惕那些由脫節或過度美化的媒體敘事所塑造的觀點。
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