Veterans and Media: The Effects of News Exposure on Thoughts, Attitudes, and Support of Military Veterans

Abstract

The mass media are an important source of information concerning military service personnel and veterans. Veterans, veterans organizations, and others have criticized the mass media for providing the public shallow representations of veterans and military service in which veterans are heroes traumatized mentally and/or physically by their service. Despite the concern, scant research has empirically examined how exposure to such content affects public perceptions of veterans. Using an experiment, this study examined how exposure to news stories of military veterans informed thoughts, attitudes, and support intentions toward veterans. Results suggest short, one-time exposure to stereotypical news stories can lead readers to perceive an increased likelihood veterans will experience post-traumatic stress disorder and, in turn, feel less desire to be socially close with veterans. However, exposure to a story that challenges stereotypical representations of veterans appears to mitigate the effect. In addition, news exposure can influence support intentions related to veterans.

Assessing interpersonal impact of veterans with PTSD and moral injury: A case study of how significant others perceive veterans undergoing a positive psychology intervention

“…Notably, the perceived interpersonal impact of veterans in this study seems inconsistent with some public perceptions that veterans with PTSD are cold, distant, and aggravatedsometimes evident in public stigma and media portrayals (Caldwell & Lauderdale, 2021;Parrott et al, 2022;Vassar et al, 2020). Perhaps findings are inconsistent with public perceptions because observer ratings were completed by a SO who had an established relationship with the veteran and interacted with them frequently.…”

“…Based on the few studies previously described, one might expect that interpersonal styles at baseline would be heterogenous for this sample as well. One might also expect that most veterans in this sample would be perceived as cold or aggravated if interpersonal impact is reflective of media portrayals and public stigma surrounding veterans with PTSD (Caldwell & Lauderdale, 2021;Parrott et al, 2022). However, given the gap in previous research, these aims were considered exploratory.…”

Veteran Evolution: Re-Classifying the Military and Veterans as Independent Cultures

“…Due to the classified nature of military culture, perceptions regarding cultural norms about the military culture that inform perceptions of Veteran culture are then procured through elements such as film, television, and other entertainment modalities (Motl et al, 2022). Research has identified societal serotypes surrounding Military Service, Military Service Members, Veterans, and their respective cultures (Motl et al, 2022;Parrott et al, 2021).…”

U.S. Veterans and Civilians Describe Military News Coverage as Mediocre, Think Stories Affect Others More Than Themselves

“…Despite the potential significance of media effects, a few studies have examined how media exposure affects audience members’ perceptions of military veterans. An experiment by Parrott et al (2021) found that participants who were exposed to stereotypical news articles, where veterans experienced severe PTSD, subsequently provided higher estimates of the proportion of veterans who experience PTSD, which in turn predicted decreased likelihood of desiring social relationships with veterans. In a cross-sectional survey, Griffin and Sen (1995) found that participants were more likely to blame war (rather than Vietnam veterans themselves) for veterans’ personal problems after watching movies such as Platoon , in which the main characters are overwhelmed by circumstances beyond their control.…”