[February 07, 2014] I wrote here a couple of times about the media reporting on a “culture of toxic leadership in the military.” The media, always unable to resist a fad, has expectedly published other articles. The latest is the Army Times (not an official publication of the US Army).
We all respect the independence of the media, but not their “herd mentality.” These articles are feeding and quoting each other; hyping small mistakes and missing the important issues.
The Army Times article is misleading on the pertinent facts. In the article, there is reporting of very small issues that are being compared to major corruption without distinction. For example, if a Soldier brings lunch (from across the street) to a senior officer who paid for it, is this unethical? Is it corruption? Is it toxic leadership? I don’t think so, nor do I think most would consider such behavior a problem.
We should ask themselves whether the media articles on the issue of “a culture of toxic leadership in the military” are inspired by true problems or much to do about little. The problem we face is that there will always be problems associated with being human, as we are prone to weaknesses and inefficiencies. We should correct those mistakes with existing processes, not with character assassination in the press.
The credibility of the media is on the line. As more people find out that their misleading reporting, the less trust and faith we have in them as independent checks on our form of government.