Sebastian Junger's War, “Expert Testimony,” and Understanding the Story

Abstract

Using epistemological theory, this paper examines how literary journalists can know their subjects well. Sebastian Junger used multiple methods to report the experiences of soldiers in combat, which became his book War. Following a platoon of Airborne Army soldiers, Junger used secondary sources, immersion reporting, direct observation, extensive interviewing, an informant, videotaping, and “expert testimony.” The expert testimony is a form of descriptive knowledge that allows journalists to gain deep understandings of subjects. Understanding occurs when a knower, such as a journalist, apprehends connectedness and significance, according to philosopher Lorraine Code. Junger achieves this through the use of expert testimony, defined as testimony from scientific studies and academic articles and books, which connect the experiences of the soldiers he wrote about to the experiences of soldiers in previous wars. This connection results in an appreciation of the significance of the soldiers' experiences.