Mullen Says the Military Still Needs the Media

Mullen Says the Military Still Needs the Media – David Ignatius, Washington Post opinion.

For the military, it’s like a grisly death in the family: How did Gen. Stanley McChrystal, one of the most respected soldiers of his generation, blow himself up in a magazine profile? It’s a puzzle to McChrystal’s colleagues here, and understandably, there’s a new wariness in dealing with the media.

The relationship between the military and the press could probably use a little adjustment. The Rolling Stone article was a wake-up call for both sides that the coziness that has evolved over the past decade, as “embedding” of reporters became more widespread, can cause problems. Now there’s likely to be a tilt back toward more traditional ground rules and a little more distance. We’ll see whether that leads to better reporting or just a chillier relationship…

More at The Washington Post.