The Military’s Cultural Shroud Media Influence on War Knowledge among Civilians and Military Personnel

Abstract

The current study investigates the relationship among media, war knowledge, and military culture through survey data collected at a major eastern university with a sample bifurcated nearly evenly by individuals (currently or previously) in the military and others having no military experience. Survey results demonstrate that the effect of media on war knowledge differs by individuals’ association with the military. Among individuals in or previously in the military, the media had no effect on war knowledge. By contrast, the media was a major predictor of war knowledge for individuals with no military experience. It appears that, for individuals associated with the military, the media is not a major information source because military members (e.g., military leaders and commanders) are viewed as more trustworthy bearers of knowledge, while others who lack a connection to the military depend on the media as their information dissemination source.