negative and neutral, but insisted reporters had never been denied access on the basis of past reporting.
The Pentagon distanced itself from the practices revealed by the newspaper Stars and Stripes.
"A tool like this serves no purpose and for me doesn't provide any value," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman. "As I've said before, the metric we use at the Department of Defense to rate a story is based on whether or not the story is accurate."
US forces in Afghanistan acknowledged in a statement that it uses public relations group Rendon for "several analytic reports, to include characterization of specific topical stories/events as positive, negative or neutral, as well as whether media reporting is an accurate portrayal of the facts as we know them."
"These reports do not 'rate' reporters or news outlets themselves, nor do we keep any reports on individual reporters other than personal information used in the accreditation process, i.e. name, passport or ID number, media outlet, etc....," a military statement said.
Stars and Stripes, a publication funded by the Pentagon but with an independent editorial mandate, said the files on journalists were aimed at determining how to influence their reporting while embedded with a military unit.
"We have used background information, which typically includes basic biographical information about the reporter and a snapshot of what they have been covering recently, to prepare leaders for interviews as any public affairs office might prepare for any media engagement," the army said.
But it said the army "has never denied access to any reporter based upon their past stories."
The news comes against the backdrop of an increasingly unpopular war in Afghanistan. A recent survey found that 51 percent of those Americans surveyed did not believe the war was worth fighting.
Friday, August 28, 2009
DTN News: US Military Acknowledges Keeping Tabs On Reporters' Work
DTN News: US Military Acknowledges Keeping Tabs On Reporters' Work
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - August 28, 2009: The US Army in Afghanistan admitted Thursday to keeping files on journalists and classifying reporting on the war as positive, 
negative and neutral, but insisted reporters had never been denied access on the basis of past reporting.
The Pentagon distanced itself from the practices revealed by the newspaper Stars and Stripes.
"A tool like this serves no purpose and for me doesn't provide any value," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman. "As I've said before, the metric we use at the Department of Defense to rate a story is based on whether or not the story is accurate."
US forces in Afghanistan acknowledged in a statement that it uses public relations group Rendon for "several analytic reports, to include characterization of specific topical stories/events as positive, negative or neutral, as well as whether media reporting is an accurate portrayal of the facts as we know them."
"These reports do not 'rate' reporters or news outlets themselves, nor do we keep any reports on individual reporters other than personal information used in the accreditation process, i.e. name, passport or ID number, media outlet, etc....," a military statement said.
Stars and Stripes, a publication funded by the Pentagon but with an independent editorial mandate, said the files on journalists were aimed at determining how to influence their reporting while embedded with a military unit.
"We have used background information, which typically includes basic biographical information about the reporter and a snapshot of what they have been covering recently, to prepare leaders for interviews as any public affairs office might prepare for any media engagement," the army said.
But it said the army "has never denied access to any reporter based upon their past stories."
The news comes against the backdrop of an increasingly unpopular war in Afghanistan. A recent survey found that 51 percent of those Americans surveyed did not believe the war was worth fighting.
negative and neutral, but insisted reporters had never been denied access on the basis of past reporting.
The Pentagon distanced itself from the practices revealed by the newspaper Stars and Stripes.
"A tool like this serves no purpose and for me doesn't provide any value," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman. "As I've said before, the metric we use at the Department of Defense to rate a story is based on whether or not the story is accurate."
US forces in Afghanistan acknowledged in a statement that it uses public relations group Rendon for "several analytic reports, to include characterization of specific topical stories/events as positive, negative or neutral, as well as whether media reporting is an accurate portrayal of the facts as we know them."
"These reports do not 'rate' reporters or news outlets themselves, nor do we keep any reports on individual reporters other than personal information used in the accreditation process, i.e. name, passport or ID number, media outlet, etc....," a military statement said.
Stars and Stripes, a publication funded by the Pentagon but with an independent editorial mandate, said the files on journalists were aimed at determining how to influence their reporting while embedded with a military unit.
"We have used background information, which typically includes basic biographical information about the reporter and a snapshot of what they have been covering recently, to prepare leaders for interviews as any public affairs office might prepare for any media engagement," the army said.
But it said the army "has never denied access to any reporter based upon their past stories."
The news comes against the backdrop of an increasingly unpopular war in Afghanistan. A recent survey found that 51 percent of those Americans surveyed did not believe the war was worth fighting.
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