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

• Date: 01 July 2022
• Published date: 01 July 2022
• DOI: 10.1177/0095327X20986145
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X20986145

Armed Forces & Society

2022, Vol. 48(3) 503 –521

© The Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/0095327X20986145

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Article

Original Manuscript

Veterans and Media:

The Effects of News

Exposure on Thoughts,

Attitudes, and Support

of Military Veterans

Scott Parrott

1

, David L. Albright

2

and Nicholas Eckhart

3

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.

1

Department of Journalism & Creative Media, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

2

Office for Military Families and Veterans, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

3

Veterans and Media Lab, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

Corresponding Author:

Scott Parrott, Department of Journalism & Creative Media, University of Alabama, 901 University

Boulevard, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA.

Email: msparrott@ua.edu

504 Armed Forces & Society 48(3)

Keywords

veterans, media, news, stigma, stereotype, identity

The mass media represent an important source of information concerning both

military service and military veterans for the American public. The reliance is due

in part to the end of compulsory service, also known as the draft, in 1973. The

military became all-volunteer, leading to fewer people serving and, ultimately,

fewer people having family, friends, or other close relations serve (Pew Research

Center, 2011). A military–civilian gap emerged, involving differences related to

culture, demographics, policy preferences, and institutions (Rahbek-Clemmensen

et al., 2012). Veterans, military leaders, and others have expressed concern that the

gap nurtures misunderstanding among the civilian population concerning how the

Armed Forces operate (Garamone, 2019), what service means in terms of positive

and negative consequences (Garamone, 2019), and veterans who are reintegrating

into civilian life in the United States.

Given the importance of mass media as an information source, growing attention

has been afforded to the representation of military service members and veterans in

the nation’s news products (e.g., Parrott et al., 2019; Kleykamp & Hipes, 2015;

Rhidenour et al., 2019; Wilbur, 2016). Veterans organizations have expressed con-

cern about stereotypical representation s of veterans in the media (e.g., National

Veterans Foundation, 2016), and research thus far has confirmed that the American

news media provide audience members a narrow and extreme portrait of what it

means to be a veteran (Parrott et al., 2019; Kleykamp & Hipes, 2015; Rhidenour

et al., 2019; Wilbur, 2016). Despite the concern, little empirical attention has been

afforded to understanding how media exposure shapes public perceptions of veter-

ans. Using an experiment, this study assists in addressing this limitation by examin-

ing how exposure to news articles affects readers’ perceptions concerning

the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans, readers’

subsequent attitudes about being socially close to veterans, and readers’ support

intentions toward veterans. The results are significant given the potential importance

of public opinion in governmental policy related to veterans, service in the U.S.

Armed Forces, and the reintegration of veterans into civilian society.

Literature Review

Media Representations and Public Attitudes Toward Veterans

The American public holds veterans in high esteem (e.g., Kleykamp et al., 2018;

Pew Research Center, 2011) and describes the military as one of the most trusted

institutions in the United States (Andrews, 2019). Attitudes toward vete rans are

important because, as Kleykamp and colleagues (2018, p. 109) write, “attitudes are

one window into the social context or ‘homecoming’ to which veterans return after

war.” A number of factors may inform public attitudes concerning military veterans,

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