StickWithANose

With linkage to a huge pdf file! Here’s the one that made the news and is amazingly damning… More here…

—–Original Message—-From:

Merritt, Roxie T. CAPT, OASD-PA <Roxie.Merritt Bryan, SES, OASD-PA <.B .W· a” 0 <George. Rhynedance;~W~;//’?>’ .. Lawrence, Dallas OASD-PA <Roxie ,Merritt LCD cc: Sent: Fri Jan 14 19:25:08 2005

Subject: RE:New Ideas for Military analyst coverage -Iraq trip

BACKGROUND:

One of the most interesting things coming from this trip to Iraq with the media – analysts was learning how their jobs have been undergoing a metamorphosis. There areseveral reasons behind the morpho .. with an all voluntary military, no one in the media has current military background. Additionally, we have been doing a good job of keeping these guys informed so that they have the ready answers when the network comes calling.

CURRENT ISSUES:

The key issue here is that more and more, media analysts are having a greater impact on the television media network coverage of military issues. They have now become the go-to guys not only on breaking storys. but they influence the views on issues. They also h.ave a huge amount of influence on what stories the network decides to cover proactively  with regards to military. In media ops, I have been using them more frequently to get our side of the story out with media sensitive departments such as USD!, which is typically hard to penetrate with traditionally media, but that we have found to be receptive to talking to the analysts such as ~en Robinson.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.) I recommend we develop a core group from within our media analysts list of those that we can count on to carry our water. They become part of a “hot list” that we immediately make calls to or put on an email distro before we contact or respond to media on hot issues. We can also do more proactive engagement with thiB list and give them tips on what stories to focus on and give them heads up on upcoming issues as they are developing. By providing them with current and valuable information, they become the key go to guys for the networks and it begins to weed out the less reliably friendly analysts by the networks themselves.

2.) We need to continue with Dalla’s initiative to do regional trips for the analysts on a routine basis. Even though some of these guys on this trip had been to Iraq last year, the landscape had changed 100 dramatically th-.t they were “wowed” at the change in such a short amount of time. would like to arrange a trip to Afghanistan next.

3.) Media ops and outreach can work on a plan to maximize use of the analysts and figure out a system by which we keep our most reliably friendly analysts plugged in on everything from crisis response to future plans. Th!s trusted cote group will be more than willing to work closely with us because we are their bread and butter, and the more they know the more valuable they are to the networks.

4.) I am also going forward on working regional media trips and looking at trips for publishers, columnists and. specialty media, including radio.

5.) As evidenced by this analyst trip to Iraq, the synergy of outreach shop and media ops working t09~ther on these type of projects is enormous and effective. will continue to exam ways to improve processes