Wikipedia

Pentagon rapid response operation: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
 
(15 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown)
Line 1:
The '''Pentagon rapid response operation''' was createda in[[public Octoberrelations]] 2006 and lasted to mid 2007<ref>http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Pentagon_kills_Rumsfeld_propaganda_unit_0713.html</ref>initiative by the [[United States Department of Defense]] (a.k.a. [[The Pentagon]]) to "quickly respond to news media stories critical of ... the [[war in Iraq War]], as well as other stories the Defense Department leadership doesn't like."<ref name="CNN">[http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/31/pentagon.pr/index.html Pentagon boosts PR arsenal], CNN (October 31, 2006).</ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/31/pentagon.pr/index.html
|title=Pentagon boosts PR arsena
|publisher=CNN
|date=2006-10-31}}</ref>
 
==History==
A Pentagon memo seen by the [[Associated Press]] news agency said the new unit would "develop messages" for the [[24-hour news cycle]] and aim to "correct the record".<ref name=BBC>{{cite web
An October 3, 2006 memo written by Dorrance Smith, the [[Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs|assistant secretary of defense for public affairs]],<ref name="CNN"/> obtained later by the Associated Press, described the team's role.<ref name="Serrano">Alfonso Serrano, [http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-to-expand-pr-operation/ Pentagon To Expand P.R. Operation], Associated Press (October 31, 2006).</ref> The memo envisioned that the team would "'develop messages' for the [[24-hour news cycle]] and 'correct the record'" in a way similar to [[political campaign]] operations, such as [[Bill Clinton presidential campaign, 1992|Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign]].<ref name="Serrano"/> Smith also set forth four branches of the operation: "[[New Media]]" (for [[Web site]]s, [[podcast]]s, and [[YouTube]]); "Rapid Response" (for [[letters to the editor]]); "TV and Radio Booking" (for booking civilian and military guests on [[cable news]] and radio); and "Surrogates" (for "analysts who speak publicly, often on behalf of the Pentagon").<ref name="CNN"/><ref name=BBC>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6100906.stm|title=Pentagon boosts 'media war' unit: The US defence department has set up a new unit to better promote its message across 24-hour rolling news outlets, and particularly on the internet|publisher=BBC News|date=October 31, 2006}}</ref> During the brief life of the "'rapid response cell," a "team of [[Public affairs (military)|public affairs officers]] working behind closed doors ... churn[ed] out e-mail messages, press releases, opinion pieces and corrections to perceived inaccuracies or biased reporting worldwide."<ref name="ShankerMazzetti">Thom Shanker & Mark Mazzetti, [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE1DB1031F931A25750C0A9619C8B63&pagewanted=all New Defense Chief Eases Relations Rumsfeld Bruised], ''New York Times'' (March 12, 2007).</ref>
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6100906.stm
|title=Pentagon boosts 'media war' unit: The US defence department has set up a new unit to better promote its message across 24-hour rolling news outlets, and particularly on the internet
|publisher=BBC News
|date=2006-10-31}}</ref> The unit would reportedly monitor media such as [[Blog|weblogs]] and would also employ "surrogates", or top [[politician]]s or [[lobbyist]]s who could be interviewed on TV and radio shows.<ref name=BBC/>
 
The Pentagon rapid-response unit was a priority of [[U.S. Secretary of Defense]] [[Donald Rumsfeld]], and some congressional [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] criticized the initiative as excessively focused on Rumsfeld's personal reputation, rather than the reputation of the [[U.S. armed forces]].<ref name="ShankerMazzetti"/> Soon after being sworn in as secretary of defense in 2007, Rumsfeld's successor [[Robert Gates]] disbanded the unit.<ref name="ShankerMazzetti"/>
==Model Used==
 
The Rapid Response Operation was modeled after a political campaign's, such as that made famous by [[Bill Clinton]]'s successful [[1992 presidential race]], that use "Rapid Response" action to answer opponents' assertions quickly.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-to-expand-pr-operation/</ref>
 
==Information Branches==▼
 
The operation had four branches, According to an Oct. 3 2006 memo from [[Dorrance Smith]]. The branches, according to the memo, are<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/31/pentagon.pr/index.html?_s=PM:US</ref>:
*New Media: Covering the Internet, podcasting, DVDs and Web sites, including You Tube.
*Rapid Response: Covering letters to the editor.
*TV and Radio Booking: Covering civilian and military guests for cable network and radio programs.
*Surrogates: Covering analysts who speak publicly, often on behalf of the Pentagon.
 
==See also==
*[[Public affairs (military)]]
*[[Pentagon military analyst program]]
*[[Propaganda in the United States]]
▲==*[[Information Branches==warfare]]
*[[U.S. Military Television Network]]
 
Line 32 ⟶ 16:
 
==External links==
*[http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/11/10/publiceye/entry2172915.shtml David Martin Onon Thethe Pentagon's 'Quick-Reaction Squad'] CBS News, November 10, 2006
{{Iraq War}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pentagon Rapid Response Operation}}
[[Category:United States Department of Defense]]
[[Category:PropagandaPresidency inof theGeorge UnitedW. StatesBush]]
[[Category:PromotionPropaganda andin marketingthe communicationsIraq War]]
 
 
{{US-stub}}
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_rapid_response_operation"