Thread: Updated rules on communicating with the public and media.

Military chiefs say more people are currently joining the army in the West Midlands than anywhere else in the UK, with Wolverhampton a particular hotspot.

Sounds like the better option, from my recollection of the place.

However, there's nothing like Public Awareness to get things happening. The Armed Forces used to be in the public's eye and imagination, once upon an Empire/Commonwealth ...

Originally Posted by PartTimePongo

How are you going to make the Military Covenant work, without closer engagement from the British Public?

To firmly ram this back on topic, if the British Public are not actively engaged to support us , then the Covenant will continue to be a top down mealy-mouthed exercise in platitude.

If the Government say "Let's be warm and fuzzy to the boys and girls, and give them what they want" how long do you think it will be , before we're accused of taking money from the NHS, Education , Welfare etc?

We can't deflect criticism, until the British Public are shown exactly why the Military Covenant is so important.

It can't happen , until the British Public are made to feel a part of it.

Anyone remember the Falklands Factor? Yes we launched an expeditionary force, which retook the Islands, and the Iron Trout made the most of it. But, the reporting was in close and personal, and the MoD made damn sure at that time, that the public understood why they were doing it, and why public support was crucial.

Then again, MoD was top heavy with people that had been in a shooting war, and they were dealing with editors who'd sent their fair share of despatches via carrier pigeon from Normandy.

What RBL is doing, is admirable, but it is not enough on it's own.

We need to up the Military presence in the media considerably, that includes mainstream programming. scripts in Eastenders/Corrie/Hollyoaks etc. More material showing what it means to be on the thin end of the spear, and how it relates to the public at home.

We need to take the 5 minute slots in Cinemas before the film starts for "Helmand report" tie the damn reports to local regiments in local areas, get them talked about.

It means better access for the media to our colleagues on operations, and more "The story of Pte. Bloggs from your street"

We need to get the public thinking "That could be my son, daughter. husband, wife, best mate" etc etc , what can I do to show I care. We need to channel that concern , into exercises where the public can manifest it's concern into physical acts if they so feel.

I don't mean poxy lip-service ribbon campaigns and the like that are gone as soon as they start, and back to square 1.

I mean a constant "background hum" concerning our people. Constant reminders that they are not Dessies clad automatons, but they've hopes, dreams and aspirations, as the late Captain Hicks had.

It is not impossible to get the public to engage at an emotional level. Look at what some local TV stations do, like Central. Embed reporters, and make sure they are on hand when the guys and girls get home.

The surge of pride when the Staffords got back, was palpable round here, Central couldn't have shown their pride more, if it was their own staff that had been on the OP. That's in spite of MoD, not because of them.

Start the ground swell at local level and build it up, not the other way round, with yet another bloody mean-nothing decree, which the public will lump with all the other crap they've heard.

None of this, not one single thing, is going to be worth a damn if we don't get the British Public onside.

PTP,

You're quite right, but that would involve some lardass disrupting his daily routine, showing a little vision, tenacity and dare I say professional pride in their work to do this.

Heaven forbid that the directors at DGMC extract the team digit from whatever darkened, flexitime, job for life orifice it's currently engaged in.

On a lighter note, do you think Browne is having a good week this week? I suspect not.

Originally Posted by Mr_Bridger

On a lighter note, do you think Browne is having a good week this week? I suspect not.

I wouldn't know, either way. But I do hope not.

Originally Posted by Mr_Jones

Sven wrote:

So, if the finger has to be pointed - and it clearly has before the forces descends into the likes of the bad old days - let's get thatfinger pointed just as much at those wearing green or blue of whichever hue in this.

Seems like a distraction to me. This all comes down to money and political priorities in the end. If civil servants and uniformed personnel get placed in a situation where they have to make something work without proper funding then they may eventually get into a position where they want to cover mistakes up. This is bad but it always goes back to the funding.

The tax take in the UK has gone up hugely under this guppymint yet at the same time defence spending has been cut to the bone. That's fine if the same guppymint doesn't send the forces to get shot at anywhere. Cutting the funding to the bone and getting the forces involved in two shooting wars at the same time is criminal.


PTP wrote:

... a lot of good stuff too lazy to cut and paste

Defo need the background hum to keep this a permanent concern of all guppymints now and in the future.

Constant embedding would be a good start. Given how dangerous it is maybe MoD itself could recruit some people instead of paying all the PR staff seeing as the Michael Yon blog linked below is the best PR the US forces could get.

I think this comes back to the real reasoning behind the DIN. The MoD, would rather we just died quietly, that way we create less work for them and the government can spend the money on what it sees as vote winners and ultimately more popular areas. That way they get re-elected. Power for the sake of power. True leadership is not a popularity contest. It's about doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason.

My mind has wandered back to Ainsworth's interview again. Can you imagine giving a set of orders or even a briefing to those under your command "Ainsworth Stylie". My God, if your own guys didn't rightly put you in a shallow grave, then the enemy surely would.

Mr Ainsworth, I wouldn't share a fire trench with you. You do not have my confidence nor trust. If your performance, was designed to put me or my colleagues, or heaven forbid my family at ease, you have failed. I suspect sadly that i'm not alone in this respect. How can anyone lead without the respect of those underneath you? Does not the Queen, the Country, it's Armed Forces and the common taxpayer deserve better?

I now consider my self a floating voter. I will vote for any politician from now on "Who says what he means, means what he says and does what he says". I've yet to clap eyes on one. From any party. The political parties, just like the MoD have become self-serving organisations. They stand for nothing, deliver little and ultimately are proving that they cannot be trusted.

All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.

Sir Winston Churchill

Mr Ainsworth, while you're sat down with your family this evening remember what those who TRULY serve there country are risking, and the pitiful reward they get for it. Compare that to the risks you and your colleagues undertake in the hallowed halls of Westminster compared to the rewards received. I hope then that you find the time to ask whether the MoD is actually attempting, let alone achieving, those simple but powerful great things listed above.


Is the new DIN serving our Freedom?
The Para v The Typist is this honourable?
Were the Iraq "show trials" Justice?
Does the MoDs reactive treatment of our crippled and injured show a duty of care, mercy or hope?

"They Deserve No Less"

Originally Posted by Unsworth

Originally Posted by Mr_Bridger

On a lighter note, do you think Browne is having a good week this week? I suspect not.

I wouldn't know, either way. But I do hope not.

Oh he appears to be. LOTS of good news:

15 Aug 200 Scottish labour market figures break all records

Secretary of State for Scotland Des Browne said:

“Today’s outstanding figures show that the Scottish labour market has never been in better health. This is testimony to the macroeconomic policies of the UK Government, which have delivered eleven consecutive quarters of above trend economic growth for Scotland setting the foundations for these excellent labour market results

14 Aug 2007 UK Government moves to help Edinburgh Festivals perform

The Secretary of State for Scotland said:

“We have listened closely to the concerns of festival organisers on this issue and have raised their concerns at the highest level, where they were sympathetically received."

14 Aug 2007 Government response to the Scottish Executive's publication of an independence White Paper

Secretary of State for Scotland Des Browne said:

“The central theme in the SNP Scottish Executive’s publication – independence – has the support neither of the Scottish people or the Government. Two thirds of Scottish voters voted for parties that support the Union in the Scottish Parliament elections."

The Germans have a saying: "The fish goes rotten from the head"

Blogg, are you suggesting that he's not fully focused on our fighting two wars, with limited resources and huge overstretch?

If I might offer some alternative pseudo-quotes, in red? ....

Originally Posted by Blogg

LOTS of good news:

15 Aug 200 Scottish labour market figures break all records
Secretary of State for Scotland Des Browne said:

“Today’s outstanding figures show that the Scottish labour market has never been in better health. This is testimony to the macroeconomic policies of the UK Government, which have delivered eleven consecutive quarters of above trend economic growth for Scotland setting the foundations for these excellent labour market results

Today's recruiting figures show you can fool most of the people most of the time. This is testimony to the way this Government ensures that any bad news is supressed, and that the culture of spin still rules strong in Whitehall.
OK, Jock, now what were we saying about employment in Galashiels?

14 Aug 2007 UK Government moves to help Edinburgh Festivals perform
The Secretary of State for Scotland said:

“We have listened closely to the concerns of festival organisers on this issue and have raised their concerns at the highest level, where they were sympathetically received."

We have listened closely to the concerns of the commanders and servicemen deployed overseas, and have sympathetically decided to do fkuc all about it.
God, I'm going to be late for the opera ...

14 Aug 2007 Government response to the Scottish Executive's publication of an independence White Paper
Secretary of State for Scotland Des Browne said:

“The central theme in the SNP Scottish Executive’s publication – independence – has the support neither of the Scottish people or the Government. Two thirds of Scottish voters voted for parties that support the Union in the Scottish Parliament elections."

The central theme in our Defence Policy has the support of nearly half the British Electorate.
Will somebody turn off that bloody bagpipe music?
Now, how do we ensure the Scottish vote? ....

The Germans have a saying: "The fish goes rotten from the head"
Now how do we re-create the Scottish Fishing Industry? I've got voters giving me a hard time in Aberdeen ...

Originally Posted by Mr_Bridger

Blogg, are you suggesting that he's not fully focused on our fighting two wars, with limited resources and huge overstretch?

Some may very well think that. But of course nobody could possibly agree.

Simon McFlannel of Team Deterrence today presented to a packed audience, drawn from across the media spectrum, including representation from Preview, Soldier Magazine, British Army Review and Paperclips. Regrettably, the invitations to the popular press were delayed in the MB mail room and, as a result, attendance from these august bodies was extremely sparse.

The main theme of his presentation was a robust defence of his media team, an overview of successfully delivered projects to date, and an insight into his Team Deterrence recruiting strategy.

Without pausing for breath, a tribute to the demanding physical requirements necessary for entry into this elite operational team, he briefed, to a rapt audience, the demanding operational environment within which he operates.

"It's not as cushy on these media op tours as you all think. Sometimes the air conditioning goes down and we have to soldier on in temperatures that exceed the mandated Civil Service guidelines; why, only last week, that little sushi bar around the corner went bust and we had to endure a demanding tab to the tapas bar in the next street; at least two of our new chairs have splits in the leather upholstery, and one of my most senior female lieutenants snagged her tights on a poorly finished chrome pedestal; and to cap it all the cappucino machine has been playing up and creating unnecessary stress during our well-earned periods of R & R.

Moving on to success stories I am pleased to report that the two new pedaloes for the RN are now well ahead of schedule and meeting all of the demanding time, cost and performance targets that we have demanded from the contractor in return for keeping his margins down to 200%. In addition, MHS fixed at least 2 boilers and a fence last week, and our Regional Prime contractor was able, through working extended hours, to replace 3 broken toilet chains in some of our most dilapidated (but their not so bad really) barracks.

To finish, it's a tough recruiting environment out there and we are competing with the very best to justify £100K plus salaries. Third class honours degrees in media studies from Staffordshire Polytechnic don't just grow on trees you know, and we have to pay top rates to attract this quality of staff. But as you know sensible investment pays off, and a robust, well-trained and led team, with a sound briefing strategy, enables me to return home from ops each night assured that there will be no booby-traps awaiting me when I go on stag in the morning.

Any questions? No, thought not, so back to the trenches and please, constant vigilance, and no letting up - the 'War on Truth' is one we really cannot afford to lose."

PAW, your connection with reality is ... tragically accurate.

A great post.

The Nation weeps.

This story from the USA reported in Wired might be of interest to the ongoing debate (apologies if already posted - I'm not free to surf ARRSE as much as I'd like).

"Army Reports Brass, Not Bloggers, Breach Security
By Noah Shachtman Email 08.17.07 | 2:00 AM

For years, the military has been warning that soldiers' blogs could pose a security threat by leaking sensitive wartime information. But a series of online audits, conducted by the Army, suggests that official Defense Department websites post material far more potentially harmful than anything found on a individual's blog.

The audits, performed by the Army Web Risk Assessment Cell between January 2006 and January 2007, found at least 1,813 violations of operational security policy on 878 official military websites. In contrast, the 10-man, Manassas, Virginia, unit discovered 28 breaches, at most, on 594 individual blogs during the same period.

The results were obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, after the digital rights group filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act.

"It's clear that official Army websites are the real security problem, not blogs," said EFF staff attorney Marcia Hofmann. "Bloggers, on the whole, have been very careful and conscientious. It's a pretty major disparity."

The findings stand in stark contrast to Army statements about the risks that blogs pose

Cont...."

Ah, well, that's a US Rights Group, so that should lead the Nation in its decision making.

The results were obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, after the digital rights group filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act.

When I was younger I never remember having all these "rights". Is this something new? Do I have any now?

More importantly, should I talk to "The Ministry of Defence" or "The Electronic Frontier Foundation"? I think I know my preference, but WTF ... I'm over 25

PAW,

hilarious post! Tragic that that is probably exactly how most of us percieve them.

PAW - I get so confused between the truth and the MOD reality, glad you could put it all into context so well. Horribly well, in fact.