The notoriety of some veterans may have unexpected effects on the civilian-military divide, in some cases, individuals in the spotlight may inadvertently widen it. The depiction of veterans in the media is often that of binaries — victims or heroes — and this simplistic view excludes the majority of veterans, as it leaves no room for the everyman.
“Sometimes the coverage generates these negative tropes, but sometimes it generates these overly positive images that … gives civilians very polarized views of veterans that isn't necessarily very realistic,” said Meredith Kleykamp, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, in a report by the Oriana Pawlyk of the Military Times.
