LESSON OBJECTIVES:

The media's role in formulation of national Security Strategy is that it influences public opinion. The key to this is that the people in the media must be respected commentators and experts. This is especially true when the president is not that popular. If the president is popular then he will have the greater ability to sway public opinion and thus create his own national security strategy. The president is the "recognized expert" by default, he also has access to more information and can veil themselves in secrecy, which helps. While a lot of people, Dan Rather, Harry Summers etc., say that the media has no influence there are examples that suggest otherwise. The most notable case is that of Somalia, where daily coverage seemed to force the United States into action. George Will notes that "if there had been television cameras at Gettysburg, there would be two countries" today.

The American people want the president to lead in foreign policy. They defer to him, but public opinion can shape policy as time goes on. The media's greatest impact is that of RAW video. It is graphic and made up of video bites. Example, an apparent riot was on TV and just a couple hundred yards away the scene was peaceful. Or the pilots that were drug through the streets of Mogadishu. The public wanted response in force, but the plan was to withdraw.

The media's impact upon national security decision making is a complex situational equation consisting of a host of variables from the prestige, personality and credibility of the news commentators, president, other prominent government figures and the "enemy" if there is one; to the depth of focus of the public on domestic issues.

What does all this mean for national security? The answer, like much of what has been presented here, is that it depends. The elements that come together to determine whether the media has an impact upon national security decision making include the ability of the media to gain access to the important information, the manner in which they choose to present it to the people, and how that presentation resonates with the public mood. Operating in harmony with or in opposition to the media portrayal of an issue is the level of administration control which is, in its turn, strengthened or compromised by the factor of presidential popularity. In a true national security episode, both press and people are likely to hold back to see whether the administration will lead. If it leads in a direction compatible with the general mood of the people, both will likely be supportive. If either the president fails to lead, or attempts to lead in a direction contrary to the popular mood, there is likely to be trouble for the administration. But in matters of national security, the government has the advantage of secrecy and a horde of salesmen should it choose to attempt to sell an issue. Always operating within and alongside this rather ambiguous process is the element of personal conviction. Those with direct access to the president or to his principal advisors have the opportunity for disproportionate influence. This applies as well to advisory organs like the NSC. But they, like individuals, operate in roles that vary from administration to administration. There is, then, no certain answer to the question. A different calculus is required for each episode and the variables are no more static than the mind of man. ( Reading #4, Johnson )

Every soldier is a spokesperson. Public Affairs guidance should be widely disseminated. Although the commander is normally the unit's official spokesperson, informed junior soldiers, however, are also honest, accurate, forthright, and insightful spokespersons. The degree of media attention focused on a peace operation will lead to soldier-media interaction and members of the media will seek soldier commentary.

The media is an important information channel to the American public. In the highly visible, politically sensitive peace operation environment, public opinion is a critical element. By proactively assisting news media representatives, commanders help them understand the military's role in peace operations and produce stories that foster the confidence of the American public.

Some of the characteristics are: Know who you are talking to, Listen to the question, Stay within your responsibility or expertise, Don't discuss classified material, Everything is on the record, Keep answers brief, Be yourself. (Reading #6, Moskos & Ricks)

The real key appears to be taking care of the reporters and teaching and being honest with them. Most of them are not experts in the military field and they are just there doing what they are told. The whole "pool" idea helps them get the word out, while protecting them in conflict situations. Pool use has gotten better over time. It was first used in Grenada and Panama and it followed up in Desert Storm, Haiti, Somalia, etc.. The big wigs don't like it too much and the independent media, who don't get access, are left out. But it is effective and it gets the word out. (Reading #10, Zinni and Lorenz)

It is important to promote these things because the US military establishment generally recognizes that it needs to be covered by the media simply to survive in its present form. It's a form of justifying its existence to the public and even more importantly, the Congress, where a declining percentage of veterans is matched by a declining interest in military affairs.

Reporters must be taught about the military so they can "figure out what the story is. It is important to be honest with them because they will discover a lie and roast the military. They are more important in low intensity or humanitarian operations than in high intensity because the public will be saturated with news and generally rally's around the flag. The media is also important because they can help with troop morale. The public forgets about the troops if they are not in the news, but if the military focuses on keeping the troops in the public eye then the folks back home will know about their families and they will send letters telling them about it and morale will stay higher. (or at least that's the theory). An example was given about the troops in Italy during WWII, they felt neglected and the military focused on the smaller, hometown, media and the the press took it, the people at home heard it and told the troops about it in letters, hence the morale was propped up. (Reading #7, Moskos and Ricks)

The worldwide revolution in communications has forever changed the landscape of military operations. The impact of the media on the formulation of national policy is a fact of life. It was images of starving children on the evening news in the fall of 1992 that ultimately resulted in the deployment of a multinational force to Somalia in Operation RESTORE HOPE. Later, it was images of U.S. personnel dragged through the streets of Mogadishu that contributed to the termination of U.S. involvement. Military operations can no longer be defined only in terms of fire and maneuver. The U.S. commander must understand how to deal with the media and the important implications of media coverage.

The idea of the modern media and all of the baggage they have is a huge logistical problem. The solution the military has used has been media pools. The pools should be as large as possible to limit the extra resources that are required by having multiple independent groups. Logistics is a problem, Reporters live to file their stories and this can be difficult in remote locations and military controlled areas. In UNITED SHIELD, the media requested to install a multimillion dollar satellite dish in the compound that required 30 technical personnel and 6 pallets of electronics. During the planning stages of the operation, there was concern that the dish would be too difficult to transport, security would be a problem, and evacuation in a hostile environment would be impossible. But instant satellite communications has become an essential requirement for both print and television media. The decision was made to permit the dish, and the equipment was safely evacuated at the conclusion of the operation. It should never compromise operations. Another example is the media wanting to set up satellite phones on the USS Belleau Wood. They were forced to ensure that the phones would not interfere with ships operations. Learn to understand the media-they can be trusted with sensitive information if the proper ground rules are established early. Don't try to manipulate them; such efforts will surely backfire. When serving in a coalition operation, remember that coalition partners have their own interests in media relations that must be carefully considered. (Reading #10, Zinni and Lorenz)

Reading #8, Aukfer, is good as well because it lays out what the military and the media can do to help each other out. Some of its recommendations are as follows:

• Censorship is a thing of the past. Deal with it.
• The military leadership must take some media into confidence prior to ops.
• The military leadership must allow access by the media.
• The military and media must allow for advanced planning.
• The media is competitive and they are not likely to plan as well as the military.
• The pool system lacks institutional memory, particularly on the media side.
• There is declining interest in the military affairs by the media.
• Future military leaders don't get the required training in media relations.
• The military should operate by using "security at the source".
• Guideline for censorship should be developed in advance.
• A flag officer should be assigned to the media pool.
• The media should make a better effort to cover the military.
• Media students should get exposure to military environments.
• Media people should be invited to attend senior service schools.
• PAO's should be included in the planning stages of ops.

Comprehend the linkage of campaign plans to attainment of national objectives. (OPMEP Learning Area 3)

Comprehend how the various components of the joint planning and execution processes support force functioning at the operational level of war. (OPMEP Learning Area 4)

Analyze the impact of contextual and operational art elements on campaign planning.

(1) Bio's of some of the Author's. Not worth reading. (509bios.doc/2 pages)

(2) "Media Do's and Don'ts: Helpful Tips for Dealing With the Media,". This is an AFSOC-prepared concise list of 21 helpful tips for successfully interacting with the media. A pocket-size version of it was issued to US troops deploying to Bosnia. (Afsoc.doc/2 Pages)

(3) Gertz, "Pentagon Tells Reporters in Bosnia Soldiers' OK Needed Before Quotes,". The Ricks and Gertz articles should be read in sequence. The Gertz article, written several months later, references the Ricks piece and reports changes in DOD policy concerning extended (more than 24 hours) media coverage of DOD forces in the field. (Gertz.doc/2 Pages)

(4) Excerpts from Johnson, Douglas V. II, The Impact of the Media on National Security Decision Making. The Johnson reading discusses the media's potential impact upon national security decision making. (Johnson.doc/11 Pages)

(5) "Guidelines for Discussions with the Media," (Draft of Appendix A to Joint Pub 1-07). The draft copy of Appendix A to Joint Pub 1-07 contains the latest authoritative joint guidance concerning interaction between members of the DoD and the media. (Jp107.doc/2 Pages)

(6) Moskos and Ricks, "Reporting War When There Is No War" - Also in coursebook (Moskos.doc/6 Pages)

(7) Moskos and Ricks, "A Journalists View,"

The Moskos and Ricks readings discuss the fundamental transformation of military-media relations in military operations other than war (MOOTW), to include the impact of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private voluntary organizations (PVOs). In addition, these readings address the nature of the military-media relationship, which according to the authors, is the healthiest it has been in half a century. (Moskos2.doc/6 Pages)

(8) Excerpts from Aukofer and Lawrence, America's Team: The Odd Couple - A Report on the Relationship between the Media and the Military. The Aukofer and Lawrence publication documents the results of one of the most comprehensive studies ever undertaken concerning the military-media relationship in conflict situations. The pages selected cover this relationship from Grenada through Desert Storm, include results from the First Amendment Center study of the military and the media, examine wartime security issues from the military's point of view, and provide a detailed list of recommendations for both the media and the military. In addition, these readings discuss the Defense Department National Media Pool (DNMP) and the Independent Coverage Tier System and propose a system for media deployment in future wars. (Oddcopl.doc/75 Pages)

(9) Ricks, "US Brings to Bosnia Tactics That Tamed Wild,". The Ricks article contains several graphic/controversial quotes attributed to a US Army colonel in Bosnia. The article resulted in severe criticism of the colonel and a reevaluation of DOD media guidelines. (Ricks.doc/3 Pages)

(10) Zinni and Lorenz, "Media Relations: A Commander's Perspective,". The Zinni and Lorenz article is a case study of the positive role a viable military-media relationship played in United Shield, the successful use of US military forces to provide cover for UN forces withdrawing from Somalia in late 1994. (Zinni.doc/6 Pages)

(11) Presentation. This entire presentation is just a survey. Not worth the time. (ac509.ppt/24 Slides)

Finally, the "Important Areas To Consider" contains actual video clips, depicting the media's impact on campaign planning.

Thesis: With the proliferation of the media and its enabling technology, and the potential impact the media can have on military campaigns, it is more important than ever to foster a mutually positive media-military relationship. The lesson material provides information on this critical relationship.

Main Point 1: Comprehend the effect that media-military relations can have on campaign planning.

a. Explain the role the media plays in the formulation of national security policy.

b. Explain the impact of international and domestic media factors on campaign planning.

c. Explain the nature of media-military relations in military operations other than war (MOOTW), to include the impact of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private voluntary organizations (PVOs).

Main Point 2: Comprehend the factors related to conducting effective military-media relations.

a. Distinguish those actions and techniques which contribute to effective military-media relations.

b. Summarize the implications of increased media access and technical capability and increased public scrutiny of military actions.

c. Predict the impact that positive coverage of military actions can have on shaping public awareness and preserving favorable public opinion of the Department of Defense.

d. Summarize commanders' and media representatives' perspectives on their experiences working with one another.

Main Point 3: Comprehend media-related logistical and operational considerations integral to campaign planning.

a. Give examples of media-related logistical requirements and operational implications which must be considered in joint and combined operations and campaign planning.

b. Summarize the concepts of the Defense Department National Media Pool (DNMP) and Independent Coverage Tier System, and predict their applicability and efficacy in future media deployments.