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Filed under: Afghanistan, Australian Defence Force, Media, Taliban

12 comments

It’s hard to know whether those handling media for the Australian Defence Force are as clueless as they seem or are now openly trying to bait the Australian media.

Pleased to meet you: Some inspiring ADF photos

Yesterday there were a couple of press releases sent out from the ADF. The first was helpfully entitled: News Stories from Afghanistan – Three news stories for broadcast/publication.

Doing their favourite PLA impression, the ADF has in fact provided three media releases on Australia’s operation in Afghanistan labelled “news stories” and penned from within the organisation.

That the Defence Force would call these media releases news stories, complete with pictures, is pretty insulting in the first instance.

Publishing prepared news stories from the army is what they do in places like, oh I dunno, China and Burma.

Check out some great stories, they’re reminiscent of the kind of stuff satarical newspaper The Onion ran in the genius Yu Wan Mei edition, except the scary thing is they’re real and we’re doing it.

One reads: One of the largest air mobile operations recently conducted in Oruzgan Province has been hailed a huge success.

We’re not sure who’s hailing it a huge success but we can all sleep well tonight.

But it was the second media release by the ADF yesterday which just underscored the absurdity of the first. Late in the afternoon (it’s always late) came this press release mumbling the bad news under its breath:

AFGHAN SOLDIER AND TWO AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS WOUNDED BY IED
An Afghan National Army soldier has been badly wounded and two Australian soldiers suffered non life threatening wounds, when an IED detonated close to their partnered patrol in southern Afghanistan on 12 October 2009.

The entire release was four sentences long. This, remember, is the news of actual casualties of our soldiers and Afghan allies in the glorious Operation Slipper. We’re given four sentences and no more information because “operations are continuing”. This is standard practice for the ADF.

Monday’s attack followed an incident in which five Australian troops were injured in a similar roadside bombing this month, with another soldier inured on the weekend in a firefight with the Taliban.

This comes on the back of increasing disquiet within the media over how they’re treated in Afghanistan.

News Limited journalist Ian McPhedran recently returned from an “embedding” trip in Afghanistan. This intended to be a departure from past practice of taking the media around on “bus trips” to report from areas where Australian soldiers were building hospitals and other acts of kindness.

In this piece for the Australian McPhedran reported on a range of techniques the ADF used to frustrate what was supposed to be an open embed of the type the US and the UK regularly allow media on.

McPhedran was accompanied by photographer Gary Ramage who in a photo essay for The Punch pointed out that the level of access given to him during his embed with US army compared to the ADF was an embarrassment for our military.

ABC’s Media Watch also did a special on this issue a couple of weeks ago.
The army claims that it is the journalists welfare which is its main concern, but both US and UK forces manage these embeds safely enough and furthermore journalists who do these embeds have to accept there is a risk they can be injured or killed while doing them.

Talking to a Defence Media spokesperson The Punch was told the “news stories” initiative was countering criticism about not providing good news stories and was being now attempting to be “proactive”.

The focus of criticism of the ADF has not been on their inability to create good news stories, quite the opposite, it’s being criticised for not giving the media access to anything that isn’t an organised PR exercise.

Both the ADF and the Government should realise that limiting the media’s -and by extension the public’s - access to the war in Afghanistan does not encourage support, it encourages skepticism and from that grows outright opposition.

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Most commented

429Australia, you have nothing to fear but fear itself

390There's no one Thomson won't burn to save his skin

333Animal experiments won't cure me from cancer

313Thomson didn't answer the question everyone is asking

265Who murdered the Arts degree?

246A big day for Thomson, who thus far is guilty of nothing...

231South Australia. It's the middle bottom bit.

231Craig Thomson speaks. Meanwhile, in Australia...

12 comments

Show oldest | newest first

- iansand says:
  
  02:51pm | 14/10/09
  
  Leo - Isn’t the problem that our fearless investigative media will do exactly what the ADF want - publish these stories verbatim? What did Joh call it? Feeding the chooks?
  
  Reply
- SM says:
  
  03:14pm | 14/10/09
  
  I don’t reckon that’s the problem iansand. Due to the Australian military’s constant attempts to mislead and to cover up bastardization at all levels (even internal suicides for gods sake), I think they’re generally seen as an entirely dishonest organisation, and the media and everyone else are quite rightly highly suspicious of anything they say. Leo’s last paragraph nails it.
  
  Anyone who saw Defence Chief Angus Houston on Lateline the other evening was treated to a beathtakingly brilliant display of sombre-faced spin
  
  Reply
- John A Neve says:
  
  03:49pm | 14/10/09
  
  With the sad passing of John Wayne there is little hope of the coalition of the willing winning in Afghanistan. Just think a multi-million dollar endeavour, with highly trained and armoured troops against men wearing sheets. Let’s retreat with dignity.
  
  Reply
- Eric says:
  
  05:15pm | 14/10/09
  
  Meh. Journalists and media are way overrated.
  
  I think what the ADF is doing is called “operational security”.
  
  As far as I’m concerned, they can continue doing it.
  
  Maybe, one day, some Australian journalist will prove worthy of being included in operations. Until then, I’m happy to keep these idiots out of serious affairs.
  
  Reply
- L says:
  
  07:51pm | 14/10/09
  
  Agree with Eric.
  
  Perhaps journo’s should learn about the military prior to reporting? The amount of Army C-130’s, RAAF helicopters and M113 tanks - any ideas why the average soldier laughs at you? Then throw in the attitude that we are all evil, raping, baby-killing monsters and ever shall it be…is there any question why the average Troop Commander or soldier doesn’t want to touch the media with a 10’ pole? Add the constant negativity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px_XBJHrs4I
  
  I personally like being asked about a shooting in Afghanistan whilst walking around Melbourne. All you journalists are aware that there are more then 50 of us? In fact, there is just over 51000, so I probably don’t know everthing else going on. Likewise, we have bad apples - but guess what? I put 51000 in the SFC and there’ll be bad apples.
  
  I love my job - wouldn’t want to be media relations or PR for all the gong’s avaliable thanks.
  
  Reply
- T.Chong says:
  
  08:25pm | 14/10/09
  
  The writers for Air marshal Angus would make John Bull blush.
  To any reader of history,our propaganda is deja vu, and very troubling for it. Once again we are treated to self less , all ways gallant and humane actions on our part, while battling cowardly insurgents who wont wear uniforms,or abide by our rules.
  Who could forget the unbelievable ANZAC day story , this year, when it was announced that the ADF killed 25 bad guys on that day alone.. If any “collateral’ casualties occur, then we didnt do it. If we did, it wasnt our fault etc etc
  The value of propaganda is to dehumanise the enemy, making it easier to justify the killing.
  iansand is correct , the gullible public accepi ihe word of our embedded media. Disgusting.
  
  Reply
- Mark says:
  
  08:26pm | 14/10/09
  
  I think people are missing the point. Operational security, the media hates that. Ok, so the media thinks it is unbiased in it deals with defence? come on, what sells papers? Scandal, cover ups all sorts of juicy stuff. Face it, after the Richard Carleton (RIP) debacle with the bastardisation case at Holsworthy and him being sued and being ordered out of East Timor for in sighting a riot, http://www.rage.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/1999/49019.htm no wonder they are not accessible.
  
  SM, your talking out of turn. Its very easy to take pot shots at that org. Suicide is something most people deal with no matter where they are or whos the employer. Defence is no different to the rest of the nation. As for bastardisation, give me a break.
  
  Reply
- Chris says:
  
  08:21am | 15/10/09
  
  Operational Security is a vital component of any military operation and it should not be degraded in any capacity. However, my experience in the post 9/11 world from an Australian perspective is that it is a wonderful way to manage the news stories. It was done in the previous government and the practice continues with this one. You can lock out any story with operational security and you can manage your journos very well. Surely the Americans and British who manage their media differently also utilise operational security - so why can’t we get the balance right.
  War is about information management - not information control.
  We have lost the balance in determining what is meant to be secure and what is not. I remember a story where a young female helicopter pilot landed her Blackhawk on the oval at her old School in adelaide. She apparently always wanted to be a pilot and if she made it, then she wanted to go back to her old school. She should be proud of her achievements as many aspire to be a military pilot and a tiny fraction get through the long and arduous training. Therefore it was a great news opportunity that should not be wasted. However, her name could not be released due to operational reasons!!! She was a helicopter pilot - was she engaged at that moment in top secret operations in another part of the world - no she was in Adelaide at her old school. You could find out who she was by many means the simplest being asking 500 teenage girls who were also there or looking at their school magazine. We need to gain some perspective on securing our people and at the same time providing balanced reporting.
  
  Reply
- T.Chong says:
  
  09:00am | 15/10/09
  
  Chris: I believe that most of the cloak and dagger nonsense is very similar to when police remove their name/number tags- it is to stop accountability. In officialdom, if you cant identify a wrong doer, that very much limits any type of enquiry. (Nothing to do wither ‘copter pilot, of course)
  Why do “special Forces” need to be kept anomynous in their own country? So they can carry out operations that many people would find unacceptable, surveilance,covert ops etc and not be held accountable.
  The blurring of roles between serving and ex operatives was most clearly seen during Howards waterfront dispute.
  Since 9/11 and with our varios foreign ventures insitu, the ADF has never had it so good. More and more empire building with less and less accountability. If you ask questions than you must be a “terrorist sympathiser”
  Do not ask for whom the bell tolls…,it tolls for any and everyone who decries the jingoistic militarism that is our current world.
  
  Reply
- Mark says:
  
  11:52am | 15/10/09
  
  T. Chong, the reason ID of special forces members are kept secret is exactly that. Recent events dictate that even in our own country members are targets. Its not about terror sympathisers at all. Special Forces members have always been cloak and dagger. The only difference now is that they are moving around you and you now know it. Years ago prior to 9/11 you wouldn’t t have.
  
  Unfortunately, the Taliban know that they can say what ever they like to a reporter and they will believe it and report. The population will accept their story as truth because he/she is the trusted reporter. The ADF is seen as a liar and not to be trusted by just being the military…odd? So just who does the bell really toll for? I think I will settle for letting the ADF go about doing what it does best. You should be questioning the GOVT. That would be more appropriate I would think.
  
  Reply
- T.Chong says:
  
  12:28pm | 15/10/09
  
  Mark: The ADF “Public Affairs/Relations” or whatevr title goes by, is a propaganda unit- pure and simple, like every other country in every war since David vs Goliath. Just because they are “ours” doesnt lessen the reality of them being paid to spin stories. Look at any neg event concerning the ADF:
  1) WE did not do it 2) We will look into it 3) if it was us,it was accidental 4) Yes but the Talabaan made us- but dont worry we gave the survivors $1500 bucks 5) Look at the bridge we built.
  How long was My Lai covered up?That is why you cant trust spin.
  
  Reply
- MarkH says:
  
  04:46pm | 15/10/09
  
  T.Chong, casualties of war…how long do you think these guys have to make a snap decision??? 1hr? try .5 seconds friend or foe. Sure innocent people are killed but I dont see you questioning the Talibans tactics by suicide bombing or IED attacks. So what is it? Sure the ADF need to be accountable but at what cost? do you want to see more of Australians coming home dead because of changes to the orders to open fire? Right now, today the Taliban backed by Al Quada have attacked a police station killing police and children on their way to school in Pakistan. So whats your take on that? Is the media holding the taliban responsible for that? no they arnt as they dont have the guts to confront them. Only with the backing of western troops will they report on and the ones they denigrate. Nice isnt it.
  
  I suppose theres a Taliban Public Affairs will just say it was a mistake and do the same thing tomorrow and the day after. Where is the middle ground? do you honestly think that Soldiers involved in the killing of innocent people have no remorse? Are you going to have some legal process to charge these men? if so, we may never defend ourselves at any level or anyone else and you will have no army. There is no bridge mate. This is for keeps and unless people like you take a harden up pill or a teaspoon of cement, we as a nation will be treated like the spineless contemptuous nation these people think we are. I respect your opinion but it is apparent you lack the background understanding of how this thing is unfolding. Its not going away and neither are they.
  
  Reply