Is it time to start thinking of censoring the media?

2014-09-17T11:04:00-04:00

We have all seen the reports and read in the news how the media foils plan after plan of military operations in our war against terrorism. The reason you ask? Well, it is because they want to be the first to report it for ratings. However, what they are doing is letting the enemy know what we are doing and that has consequences for us.

Let's take the recent incident of the rescue attempt to get the hostages. The ISIL members saw what the news was reporting and knew we were looking for them with drones and we were coming over. They didn't know when, but they knew we were going to try something. So what did they do? They started moving the hostages around more and made it almost impossible for us to find them.

I can also go all the way back to when I was in Iraq in '06. I would call home about once a month or every other month when we were back on base and my wife would be able to tell me what I had been doing and what I would be doing before I could tell her or knew what I was doing. This was due to the media and the wife support group as well.

Is it time to start thinking about some way to stop the media from leaking this critical information when lives are on the line? Should there be a 24-48 hour window for the military to conduct their operation before anyone in the media can say anything? What are your thoughts?

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Sep 17 at 2014 11:10 AM

2014-09-17T11:10:01-04:00

IMHO, the media needs complete restructuring. Today everything seems to be put on trial in the court of public opinion before all or any of the facts are available. Unfortunately, again IMHO, an indictment IS a conviction when the media runs the show.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 17 at 2014 11:25 AM

2014-09-17T11:25:35-04:00

This is an old issue. Unfortunately there hasn't been a solution presented that's agreeable by all parties involved. When I was in Iraq the first time, we had embedded media. Nothing was put out until after the fact - at least to my knowlege. The second and third time I was in Iraq...somehow things went crazy. We had servicemembers taking videos of combat...and then posting it online for the world to see. It got so bad the military shut down all internet access during periods of combat with casualties so the military could complete notification to the families before the video would hit the internet. It never made sense to me - guys taking videos of combat to include their own buddies being killed in action and then these same idiots post this video and then call the KIA's mother and tell her where to find the video online, without the mother / wife / family ever being notified by the military of the KIA.

Unfortunately, the media does not think they have any responsibility to the security of the U.S. Time and again one hears the press espousing the right of the people to know everything about anything. That issue can be managed.

The greater threat is our own servicemembers. We put too much of our lives online. I see it time and again to the point of becoming numb at the sheer stupidity I see being displayed for the entire world to see. It's amazing how much information one can discover in a short time just going thru a basic search for deployment information on specific units. We need to police ourselves - or there may come a time that we see units being isolated to the point of having communication black outs being enforced in draconian methods.

Response by SPC David S. made Sep 17 at 2014 11:31 AM

2014-09-17T11:31:27-04:00

Well I agree that OPSEC awareness needs to be revisited. It appears that there are individuals out there that forget these rules and guidelines. This is first line of defense. If they can't get the information then there's nothing to report on.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 17 at 2014 11:31 AM

2014-09-17T11:31:41-04:00

I wouldn't call it censoring as much as keeping TTPs, secrets, operations, etc. away from the news media. They don't have a need to know, so "we" shouldn't be telling them.

The reports that just plain slay me are the ones where an attack fails and a panel of experts sits around (on CNN, say) discussing how the enemy could do a better job next time. Brutal!

Response by SFC Boots Attaway made Sep 17 at 2014 11:57 AM

2014-09-17T11:57:02-04:00

The media has NO business knowing or reporting details and the "EXPERTS" have no business telling the enemy how to improve their game plan. The president telling the world what our game plan was for ISIS was not only a mistake it was foolish. I also think that ROEs not only hinder our troops they hurt and even get them killed.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 17 at 2014 1:30 PM

2014-09-17T13:30:51-04:00

Censoring the media == Sounds un American
Censoring OPSEC stuff from the media== Good idea

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 17 at 2014 1:40 PM

2014-09-17T13:40:51-04:00

Is it really the media that need censoring or the administration gives more information then they need to know?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 20 at 2014 3:34 AM

2014-09-20T03:34:17-04:00

You hit the nail on the head! The media reports way too much on military happenings, loose lips sink ships come to mind. It also seems like there is always a "source" speaking anonymously at the pentagon giving info out as well, we should maybe start there first. Another thing I found interesting this week was the Scotland vote to break away from the U.K., according to there law media cannot report on voting the day of because it may skewer results. Any thoughts on that and what if the USA would do that? I'm all for it!

Response by SPC Christopher Smith made Sep 22 at 2014 12:38 PM

2014-09-22T12:38:46-04:00

I have never been a major fan of limiting the media or censoring them, but I do believe this is a problem within the higher levels of leadership. Even if a 24-72 hour post operational time was given there would still be enough information for the enemy to change tactics, as far as eliminating media from the battle zone, I do not believe the American population would be supportive of that idea. I believe that we need to be more proactive in changing our tactics and evolving before our enemy has time to change. The practice of basic battle skills is fine, but having set in stone SOP's gives the enemy the time to learn our cause and effect reactions and change before we can change our SOP's.

As far as fixing media coverage, I would personally like to see media only cover the end of major operational developments (securing large bodies of terriory, the capture/execution of high value targets (several weeks after it has happened), and the end of the war (nothing about when we are pulling out or how many)). I believe this would tip the scale back in our favor, and keep the enemy a little more on their toes. JMO

Response by LtCol Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 23 at 2014 10:34 AM

2014-09-23T10:34:40-04:00

The media doesn't "leak" information. The media reports any information they can get their hands on--that's their job. It is the military that leaks it or doesn't practice good OPSEC.

The DoD/administration is to blame if the media is reporting sensitive information, because they are the ones leaking it.

Response by Cpl Matthew Wall made Sep 23 at 2014 11:36 AM

2014-09-23T11:36:43-04:00

Everyone wants to blame Snowden for what he did. He was at fault, but why isn't anybody holding the media accountable for also releasing the information. They could have taken the moral high ground (laugh) and decided to not report it and just let the government know. However, in order for ratings and to make a big show they released anyways. We can blame the people that release the information, but I will hold the media just as accountable as them.

Response by SPC David C. made Sep 25 at 2023 6:16 PM

2023-09-25T18:16:45-04:00

Censoring? No. Crushing people who leak information? Absolutely. The media also needs to be held accountable for intentionally misleading or outright lying to the public. I don't know how, but the agenda driven bullshit is causing real problems.