A side effect of this is that the best way to shut down a failed war is to a.) pull out, and then b.) keep your fingers crossed that whoever takes over keeps the journalists out.

After the U.S. left Vietnam, there was effectively a blackout of news--at least in the U.S. Now, Obama faces the problem that if Iraq explodes, and if western journalists are allowed to film it, it will become "his fault." Conversely, if Iraq explodes but it's NOT on TV, then Americans will worry about something else and he will be able to avoid the blame.

The presence of journalists in a situation has a huge effect on how it's perceived.