"Embedded reporters" are journalists who travel into combat zones with military units. The live, eat, sleep and breathe with the members of these units and develop a camaraderie and kinship with them, almost becoming family members with shared experiences. The soldiers are tasked with keeping the journalists safe; the journalists are there to tell the soldiers story. Is this an appropriate way to report the news? In my opinion, no. It is appropriate for reporting human interest stories such as the difficulty of leaving one's family - life, really - behind to go to war, however, in my mind, it would be nearly, if not impossible, to report facts of war in an unbiased, objective manner. I think that this "embedding" program was implemented to garner support for the war, and I recall watching Dana Kay on News Channel 5 as she traveled with her assigned unit. I liked her style of reporting and was aware of her bias (however unintended) towards "her" soldiers. I don't think "embedded reporting" should have gone on; I believe the program was nothing but a war propaganda tactic of the Bush administration.
I would imagine that the soldiers had mixed feelings about embedded reporters. On the negative side, it would be a major pain in the behind to have to "babysit" a reporter who likely had never seen combat and whose inexperience could potentially cause a soldier to be injured or lose his life. Alternatively, it would be encouraging, as a soldier, to know that family and friends back home were receiving timely information and that information would very likely be positive.
One reporter discussed an experience during battle that allowed him to get satellite signal to upload photographs in order to meet his deadline. "I just couldn't believe it. It was more accommodating than anything I've ever done since," said USA Today Photographer Jack Gruber. The captain of the unit he was with opened the vehicle hatch during the fighting, which enabled Mr. Gruber to get a signal and meet his deadline.
Because of the nature of war itself, any attempts to portray the civilians version of events can be difficult, at best, for embedded reporters. Since these reporters always have a military escort, the likelihood that the civilians speak freely about their opinions is slight. Washington Post reporter David Finkel also noted that being embedded as a reporter is really the only somewhat safe way to report from Iraq presently. He says "At the beginning, if you were American, you were somewhat welcome, but that's not the case at this point." He cites the high risk potential for being kidnapped or killed if reporters were to attempt to travel freely now as they did in the early days of the war.

http://americanobserver.net/2007/12/04/iraq-2/
accessed 9/17/09