The Media and the Falklands Campaign

In the controversy over the reporting of the Falklands conflict, criticism focused on the media's use of armchair strategists to interpret and speculate about operations in the South Atlantic. Valerie Adams sets that media commentary in an historical perspective and examines its actual content to see whether the criticism was justified and whether the material actually helped to inform the public about the actions undertaken on their behalf. The issues raised in wartime by the relationship between the media, the government and the public in a democracy are explored: the Falklands' problems appear insignificant set against potential future difficulties.

VALERIE ADAMS is a specialist in defence and arms control issues. She spent ten years in the Ministry of Defence, before joining the Department of War Studies, King's College, London. In addition to her involvement in research on the handling of the media in the Falklands conflict, she has published articles on chemical and biological warfare and arms control and on logistic support for the Falklands campaign.