Hello, I’m Charlotte Bellis, and you’re watching Newsy.com.

A new Pentagon policy has lifted a ban excluding media coverage of the return of fallen service men and women.

Sergeant Philip Myers’s coffin was the first to be shown. This video from MSNBC.

His widow gave permission for the coverage – the first time in 18 years.

MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann interviewed Political Analyst Eugene Robinson.

He says the policy against showing the return originated after a network showed a split screen of President George H.W. Bush Sr. joking with reporters as casualties were coming into Dover.

“Two years later, during the first Gulf war, this policy was put into place and the rationale was not to cause distress to the families, it was not to cause distress to the President.  Of course, the White House would deny a connection between those two.  I think we can draw our own conclusions.”
(MSNBC)

CNN interviewed an army widow who started a support group for families who’ve lost a military loved one.

She supports this new policy.

“For those families who prefer not to have media coverage at this time, those transfer cases are brought off first and the media is not moved into place until the transfer cases for the families who have requested media coverage are going to be coming out.” (CNN)

Voice of America talked to one woman at the World War II Memorial who disagreed on policy.

"I personally find it an invasion of privacy," Mrs. Schwartz said, "and I know that people have a choice, but the media tends to sometimes get a little too aggressive and I don't know that they're always going to cover this with grace." (Voice of America)

Do you think it’s an invasion of privacy or an expression of gratitude? Do you think the media will abuse the policy?

U.S. News

Covering Fallen U.S. Soldiers

April 7, 2009
(1:55)
After the first coverage in 18 years of the return of a fallen soldier, Newsy.com looks at sources who are debating the possible consequences of lifting the media coverage ban.
   
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