What was the first war to have substantial media coverage?

The Crimean War, fought from 1853 to 1856, marked a turning point in how wars were perceived and understood by the public. Before this conflict, news from the battlefield was often delayed, filtered, and propagandized. However, the Crimean War coincided with advancements in technology, particularly the electric telegraph and improvements in printing. This allowed journalists, like William Howard Russell of *The Times*, to send dispatches from the front lines relatively quickly. These reports, often critical of the British military's leadership and the appalling conditions faced by soldiers, reached a wide audience back home, sparking public debate and outrage. The war also saw the use of photography to document the conflict, bringing the grim realities of war directly to the public eye. While other battles like Waterloo were significant, they predate these media advancements. The Battle of Britain was covered extensively, but it was not the first to have substantial media coverage. The Crimean War, therefore, holds the distinction of being the first war to be extensively covered by the media, shaping public opinion and influencing government policy in unprecedented ways.