Seminar series - Seeing is Believing
Vicky
Marimuther
(University of Surrey):
PhD Poster Presentation -
Media/ Military reports of brain injury in the army during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflict
The United States has 146 000 troops in Iraq and 38 000 troops in Afghanistan (Talev, Youseff & Strobel, 2009). Britain has 4 100 troops in Iraq and 7 800 troops in Afghanistan (Hickley, 2008). While the media reports on the deaths of troops, there is very little coverage on the injured (Woolf & Goodchild, 2006). However, in 2005 the media started reporting speculations of brain injury being a signature injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan tours of duty. An analysis of articles from 3 mainstream British newspapers, found that images were rarely used. The images depicted tended to highlight the American and British military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq . Images often portrayed military solidarity and camaraderie with smiling soldiers and military tanks being the main focus. Images of actual or extent of injuries were rare. Instead textual representation often seemed to be more graphic in describing the gore of the injuries. While the media works to bring to the forefront the stories of the lives of injured troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan , they also draw attention to the issue of the injured soldiers' plight not being duly addressed by their governments. More research is required to shed light on this issue.