Journalists' recent work examined before embeds
As more journalists seek permission to accompany U.S. forces engaged in escalating military operations in Afghanistan, many of them could be
screened by a controversial Washington-based public relations firm contracted by the Pentagon to determine whether their past coverage has portrayed
the U.S. military in a positive light.
Stars and Stripes
U.S. public affairs officials in Afghanistan acknowledged to Stars and Stripes that any reporter seeking to embed with U.S. forces is subject to a
background profile by The Rendon Group, which gained notoriety in the run-up to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq for its work helping to create the
Iraqi National Congress. That opposition group, reportedly funded by the CIA, furnished much of the false information about Iraq’s supposed weapons
of mass destruction used by the Bush administration to justify the invasion.
Rendon examines individual reporters’ recent work and determines whether the coverage was “positive,” “negative” or “neutral” compared
to mission objectives, according to Rendon officials. It conducts similar analysis of general reporting trends about the war for the military and has
been contracted for such work since 2005, according to the company.
U.S. Army officials in Iraq engaged in a similar vetting practice two months ago, when they barred a Stars and Stripes reporter from embedding
with a unit of the 1st Cavalry Division because the reporter “refused to highlight” good news that military commanders wanted to
emphasize.
I guess I knew this had to be going on. I just thought it weird that someone would come out and say it. If you want to embed in Afghanistan with the
troops to record the slaughters, you're going to have to be one that likes to blow sunshine up the arses of people seeing your work. War is no longer
to be questionable. War is FUN and cheerful and always positive.
“That’s the government doing things to put out the message they want to hear and that’s not the way journalism is meant to work in this
country,” said Amy Mitchell, deputy director for Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism.
“The whole concept of doing profiles on reporters who are going to embed with the military is alarming,” said Ron Martz, president of the
Military Reporters and Editors association.
I think we might have stumbled upon a key player in the US propaganda machine. Going to have to do some more digging.
