Mass Media. The Tenth Principle of War?

Information has become a viable weapon of war that can be used to strategic, operational and tactical advantage by both enemy and friendly forces. Mass media is the agent by which military information is collected, interpreted and transmitted to worldwide audiences and therefore, has tremendous power to affect the outcome of military operations. The commander who embraces the inevitability of media presence in the theater of operations and plans accordingly, can achieve significant operational advantages. In short, mass media has become a high stakes player in the military planning equation and, for better or worse, will play a major role in formulating the way future wars are fought. Properly planned for, mass media is a valuable--even essential--tool in the operational art of linking battlefield successes to the desired strategic outcome. The operational commander must firmly establish mass media as a potential force multiplier and integrate this "media concept" in the planning, execution and termination phases of military operations. Application of mass media as a principle of war is a reasonable approach to this end.