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2006-03-03 Home Front: WoT

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Posted by tipper 2006-03-03 10:23|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Now send this idea to the White House, clear out the reporters, and go directly to the people through the blog. Allow interviews and personal briefings on a select basis. Who knows, maybe elements of MSM might start bribing and giving good press to the WH just like they did Saddam et al for access.

Posted by Snomoting Ebbomong1497 2006-03-03 12:19|| 2006-03-03 12:19|| Front Page Top

#2 This could hurt the reputation for independence that blogs have.

The link is ok. The rest is not good.

Posted by 3dc 2006-03-03 12:31|| 2006-03-03 12:31|| Front Page Top

#3 I disagree. I think that it is a smashingly good idea to have the military communicating as much as possible with the public. In fact, I think that this idea doesn't go far enough.

That is, the US military is on every corner of the planet, doing incredible things, really extraordinary and interesting stuff. They also have lots of journalists, writers, and regular personnel who can *communicate* with the rest of us, but seldom do.

They have set up some good websites, filled with good photography and a news story or a few, but nowhere near enough, and with too narrow a focus to be very popular, at least compared to blogs.

There should be the equivalent of a Pentagon newswire at least as busy as the AP newswire.

(See pentagonchannel.mil) (A good example of a very well made, but inaccessible, website.)

Stories should be formatted for easy pickup by bloggers and RSS feeds. In face, every major Command should have its own newswire--not aimed at the MSM, but aimed at the Internet.

They should also have a parallel "free speech" opinion wire, published by military personnel, but on their own time and which "does not reflect the policy of the US military".

For example, personnel in Japan could give extensive commentary on life in Japan, what they see happening in Japan, how they relate to Japan, etc., in an "expat" news forum. With almost no censorship by the military unless it violates security rules. With public *and* private areas.

The idea is not for them to talk among themselves, but to have a steady stream of communication with the home front.

Imagine a soldier having something like a Myspace site, with password subscription. He can have daily chats with his parents and friends, share digital pictures in an acceptably controlled way (ahem!), and really stay connected to his people.

In 90% of the world, US military personnel are working and living in peacetime conditions. The more they stay connected with their family and friends back home, the higher their morale, and the less trouble they get into.

Putting it all together, by essentially becoming a news and information service, the military also becomes an opinion maker. In past, they have relied on a spokesman to put out the official word; but in the future, it should be the people themselves that really express the feeling of the military.

It doesn't replace the official word, it complements it.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-03-03 13:43|| 2006-03-03 13:43|| Front Page Top

#4 Wouldn't I love to have a nickle for every idea I have which eventually becomes reality. Duuh.
Now, to screen the reporters at the White House news briefings. All this is necessary to finish the war on terror, or rather the war against radical Islam. We can never win with rubber bullets and Miranda rights.

Posted by wxjames 2006-03-03 14:04|| 2006-03-03 14:04|| Front Page Top

#5 I'm with moose on this. Its a great idea. In Internet jargon, it's called disintermediation, in this case journalists (so called).

Posted by phil_b">phil_b 2006-03-03 18:00|| http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/]">[http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/] 2006-03-03 18:00|| Front Page Top

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