Updated

U.S. and coalition forces are battling Islamic State militants in the skies and on the ground across Iraq and Syria. The allies are also increasingly targeting the airwaves, where they are losing the propaganda war.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the coalition must get better at communicating its own messages and touting its successes. Carter has spent much of his latest speeches doing just that. He's been painting an increasingly rosy picture of victories in Iraq and Syria, and describing IS as constrained and losing momentum.

The effort includes talking up military victories in Iraq and Syria, and countering jihadi messaging that can recruit or inspire followers around the world.