War reporting has been changed significantly by the 2003 Iraq war, according to new research led by two professors from Cardiff University.

In a recently published book, Shoot First and Ask Questions Later, professors Terry Threadgold and Justin Lewis argue that there was a sophisticated military PR campaign in action during the conflict which ".....had less to do with censorship than with promoting certain kinds of coverage."

Their research involved interviews with military personnel from the MoD and the Pentagon as well as reporters working in the field.

They argue that the programme of embedding, or attaching journalists, to army units, fundamentally changed the way wars will be reported in the future.

The academics from the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, conclude: "Journalists need to understand their role in this PR effort and ask about not only when access is denied but when it is granted."