War & Truth

The title of Michael Samstag's trenchant documentary on combat journalists might strike some as an oxymoron, since a great deal of the truth is actually filtered out of news reports from battle zones. Tracing the period between World War II and the current occupation of Iraq, War & Truth interweaves archival and on-location footage with interview clips as it details the challenges faced by frontline reporters and camera operators who find themselves in twin conflicts: trying to stay alive while doing their jobs in the midst of armed mayhem, and struggling to navigate around the great stonewall of military censorship. Not surprisingly, many news stories and images are either heavily doctored by censors or shielded from the American public (TV news crews are still barred from videotaping the arrival of flag-draped coffins from Iraq). As a modern history lesson, War & Truth is quite fascinating (although it's unfortunate that the film doesn't address the extraordinary war reporting and pioneering news photography during the Civil War, jingoistic coverage of the Spanish-American War, or censorship practiced during World War I). DVD extras include fine bonus interviews with veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas, U.S. Marines Corps combat camera officer Norman T. Hatch, and author Joe Galloway. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)