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A responsible way to spend $20 Million?


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What do you guys make of this?

 

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Positive Press on Iraq Is Aim of U.S. Contract

 

By Walter Pincus

Washington Post Staff Writer

Thursday, August 31, 2006; A20

 

U.S. military leaders in Baghdad have put out for bid a two-year, $20 million public relations contract that calls for extensive monitoring of U.S. and Middle Eastern media in an effort to promote more positive coverage of news from Iraq.

 

The contract calls for assembling a database of selected news stories and assessing their tone as part of a program to provide "public relations products" that would improve coverage of the military command's performance, according to a statement of work attached to the proposal.

 

The request for bids comes at a time when Bush administration officials are publicly criticizing media coverage of the war in Iraq.

 

The proposal, which calls in part for extensive monitoring and analysis of Iraqi, Middle Eastern and American media, is designed to help the coalition forces understand "the communications environment." Its goal is to "develop communication strategies and tactics, identify opportunities, and execute events . . . to effectively communicate Iraqi government and coalition's goals, and build support among our strategic audiences in achieving these goals," according to the statement of work that is publicly available through the Web site http://www.fbodaily.com .

 

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Edited Due To Copyright Violation

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What do you guys make of this?

 

Link to story.

 

Positive Press on Iraq Is Aim of U.S. Contract

 

By Walter Pincus

Washington Post Staff Writer

Thursday, August 31, 2006; A20

 

U.S. military leaders in Baghdad have put out for bid a two-year, $20 million public relations contract that calls for extensive monitoring of U.S. and Middle Eastern media in an effort to promote more positive coverage of news from Iraq.

 

The contract calls for assembling a database of selected news stories and assessing their tone as part of a program to provide "public relations products" that would improve coverage of the military command's performance, according to a statement of work attached to the proposal.

 

The request for bids comes at a time when Bush administration officials are publicly criticizing media coverage of the war in Iraq.

 

The proposal, which calls in part for extensive monitoring and analysis of Iraqi, Middle Eastern and American media, is designed to help the coalition forces understand "the communications environment." Its goal is to "develop communication strategies and tactics, identify opportunities, and execute events . . . to effectively communicate Iraqi government and coalition's goals, and build support among our strategic audiences in achieving these goals," according to the statement of work that is publicly available through the Web site http://www.fbodaily.com .

 

...

 

Edited Due To Copyright Violation

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Meh, its just the government trying to win the image war.

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That amount had better buy every advertisement in every print, radio and television medium. The whole of Iraqi media operations is not worth $20M. This is basically a gift to bolster the warm and fuzzy idea of 'freedom of speech in a democratic society' (such as it is in Iraq). It'll do as much good as flushing it down a toilet.

 

Easy to spend money when it's not coming out of your own wallet.

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