Where’s the Real Story Here?
It’s been widely reported (also see here for Washington Post story) this week that the Pentagon is seeking a PR firm to improve their communications about the war in Iraq. The winner of the $20 million, two year contract will perform global media monitoring, analysis and briefings, translate a key government web site into Arabic and provide other tactical and strategic public relations activities.
In my opinion, the AP’s story headline, “Pentagon Moves Toward Monitoring Media,” is a little odd and a bit dramatic, and the last line of the piece, “Pentagon officials have defended the (PR) program as a necessary tool in the war on terror. But critics have said it contradicts American values of freedom of the press,” is strangely placed. Monitoring media is a fancy way of saying that you’re reading the newspapers, watching TV and listening to the radio. It certainly isn’t against freedom of the press for a government to read the news. In fact, the better media monitoring you have, the better you are able to understand why people are saying the things they’re saying about you, and the better you can create messages that clearly articulate what you’re trying to say so people understand your point of view. So, why is this such a big deal?
Forward Podcast 9 will be looking at writing - which is probably the most critical skill for young PR pros to develop. Our guests for this podcast is 