Look, the news on Ukraine’s unmanned systems targeting Russian shadow tankers is yet another example of corporate media trying to mold the narrative to fit their agenda. If you flip on CNN or MSNBC, you’ll see them touting these developments as heroic innovations in warfare—like they’re some kind of high-tech superheroes—while conveniently glossing over the war’s devastating consequences on civilians and the wider geopolitical landscape. It’s as if they’ve forgotten that real lives are at stake here.

Meanwhile, networks like Fox News frame this as a validation of American military hardware, consistently pushing the bizarre narrative that this is a just war fueled by righteousness. Come on! Are we really buying into the idea that drones are the answer to everything? This glorification of technology has succeeded in hyping up the ‘cool factor’ while downplaying the very real chaos and destruction being unleashed on the ground.

The fact is, both sides are playing a dangerous game, and we, the viewers, are left to sift through their propaganda. There’s a genuine lack of critical reporting on the implications of these unmanned systems—how long until these technologies slip into the hands of rogue actors? But good luck finding that angle on your nightly news. It’s time we start demanding substance over style, questioning the motivations behind these so-called advancements on the battlefield.