ISIL's Image (from Stock)

In today's Politico, Michael Crowley and Hadas Gold [ Stop using ISIL footage, Obama administration asks networks ] relate how the White House has criticized the national media for running stories with old ISIL footage from the days when they openly gathered in streets and drove around in masses of pickup trucks, black flags flying.  The White House has a point here, but went too far with it, suggesting the networks show air strikes or U.S. troops training Iraq's military.
Clearly, neither of these things have to do with what the stories about ISIS are trying to convey and would be equally misrepresented.

ISIS is not going to provide file footage for the press that shows a lone pickup running around in the dark with its lights off.  This is something that has to be provided by the people on the ground who do not have sympathy with ISIS.  There are plenty of journalists and government agencies operating in that part of the world, so if file footage is needed, there should be no shortage of people who can supply it.  In this game of psychological warfare, we should have people recording events in ISIS-land that more accurately reflect what is really going on.  Yes, there is a certain risk that goes with taking pictures of ISIS anytime, but there were people in the Ukraine taking photos of Russian troops, the downing of a civilian airliner, and the escape of a missile system seen in hasty retreat.  We can have interviews with defectors from ISIS.  We have to guess that not everyone who goes to fight comes back with the image ISIS wants to convey to the rest of the world.  Get them on TV.

The war ISIS is fighting is not all the kinetic war of the past.  It is Information War.  Using old file footage is not just lazy journalism, it contributes to the ISIS ideal and perpetuates their glory days.  The press should know better.