Updated: 13 January 2005
Location:
National Defense University, Marshall Hall, Fort Lesley J. McNair.
Topic:
Looking Ahead at Military and Media Relations in The Next Conflict.
Title: “The
Military and the Media – Ready for Prime Time in Future Conflicts?”
Objectives:
To examine the effectiveness
and utility of the public information policy for the Iraq War, the military and
media relationship, and to explore lessons learned and concerns from the
perspectives of the media and military leaders.
To look ahead
to future military operations, from peacekeeping through large-scale combat
operations, to identify practical steps that could enhance Department of Defense
media policy and procedures, and encourage independent and objective coverage.
Concept:
The symposium
will consist of two panels that will examine the processes of security policy
formulation, media coverage policy development and implementation, as well as
offer perspectives on ways to enhance these policies in the future, from
government officials, media leadership, and working journalists.
There has
always been an uneasy tension between the Fourth Estate and the military. War and armed conflict, and the events just before and
following wars, serve to ratchet-up tensions as each side tries to meet their
dissimilar, but intertwined objectives. The
Department of Defense placed substantial emphasis on, and devoted significant
resources to, preparation of the media to coexist with coalition forces and
cover operations during the Iraq war. The
core concept of that effort was the embedded journalist, attached to, and
dependant upon coalition combat units. Many,
from both camps, believe that military-media coordination and cooperation were
overwhelmingly successful, in part because of the access given to embedded
journalists. While there were
security breaches, and several casualties among journalists, levels of trust and
respect have risen between the military and the media.
Secretary of
Defense Rumsfeld believes that DoD’s objectives were met.
He has said that reporters embedded with units, have given the American
people an idea of the professionalism and heroism of their military. The outcome
of the embedding process was a "roll of the dice" during first
discussions of the idea. "But the outcome is pretty clear," he said.
"There is no question but that the American people were able to see slices
of what took place. They could see accurate presentations and representations
and written accounts of what the men and women in uniform were doing."
Secretary Rumsfeld also said that the embedding process has a side benefit.
"There's now a new generation of journalists who have had a chance to see
what kind of people volunteer to put their lives at risk. And that's a good
thing."
Program:
0810 -
Administrative remarks – Mr. Jerry Faber, Director,
Conferences, Institute for National Strategic Studies,
National Defense University
0820
- Welcome remarks – Lt Gen Michael M. Dunn, U.S. Air Force, President,
National Defense University
0830 - 0900 Keynote – Rear Admiral Stephen R. Pietropaoli, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Former Chief of Information, U.S. Navy
0910
- 1120 Panel I “Was
the Public Interest Well-served by Gulf War Media Coverage?”
Moderator: Mr. Frank Sesno, host of the public television show Worldtalk, Professor of Public Policy and Communication at George Mason University, and Distinguished Visiting Professor, National Defense University
Panelists:
Colonel David G. Perkins, U.S. Army, Chief, Western Europe and NATO Policy Division, J-5, Joint Staff and former Commander, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
Mr.
Michael Gordon, Chief Military Correspondent,
New York Times, Washington Bureau
LtCol Richard S. Long, U.S. Marine Corps, Director, Public Affairs, Quantico
Ms. Yasemin Congar, Washington Bureau Chief, Milliyet and CNNTURK
Mr. Marvin Kalb, Senior Fellow, The Shorenstein Center, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
1150
- 1320 Luncheon
Speaker: Mr. F. J. "Bing" West, President of the GAMA Corporation, and author of "The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division"
1335
- 1545
PANEL II:
“Covering the Next Conflict – Lingering Issues.”
Moderator:
Ms. Susanne Schafer,
Reporter, Associated Press
Panelists:
General George A. Joulwan, U.S. Army (Ret), Former Supreme Allied Commander-Europe, former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. European Command, and former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command
Captain Brian Cullin, U.S. Navy, Director, Congressional & Public Affairs (SEA00D), Naval Sea Systems Command
Mr. Tom Gjelten, National Security Correspondent, National Public Radio
Mr. Tom Carver, Washington Correspondent, BBC
Mr. Carroll Doherty, Editor, The Pew Research Center for The People and The Press
1555 - 1615 - Summary and concluding remarks.
Dr.
Stephen J. Flanagan, VP for Research and Director,
Institute for National Strategic Studies,
National
Defense University
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