The U.S. military will launch its own news service in Iraq and Afghanistan to send military video, text and photos directly to the Internet or news outlets.
The $6.3 million project, expected to begin operating in April, is one of the largest military public affairs projects in recent memory, and is intended to allow small media outlets in the United States and elsewhere to bypass what the Pentagon views as an increasingly combative press corps.
U.S. officials have complained that Iraq-based media focuses on catastrophic events like car bombs and soldiers' deaths, while giving short shrift to U.S. rebuilding efforts.
I actually think that this is a terrible idea. Unfortunately, it may be the best alternative to the present system, with it's outrageously blatant biases, in the short term at least. It's a real shame that the news media has created the circumstances where this move could actually be an improvement.