« The End of the Obvious Pseudo-Event | Main | Strange Coincidences in Madrid »
May 19, 2005
Open Source Analysis Policy
Frequent readers of this blog know that my bread and butter is commentary on US military operations.
Predicting the details of the Battle of Fallujah, and then live-blogging its progress is really how I got started blogging. Go back and read my posts from late October and early November to get a flavor of how things kicked off around here. Since then, I've also covered the tsunami relief operation pretty closely in early January, and Operation Matador last week, along with numerous smaller engagements.
Usually in the midst of battle coverage, there is a comment or an email or two from concerned readers who worry that I am giving too much away. They think I may be aiding the other side by writing too in-depth about who's participating in an operation, or by trying to figure out what has happened, or what will happen next.
I usually address these concens at the time, and readers seem to be satisfied with my responses. But I think it is time to have a formal policy for such things. The recent Newsweek debacle has demonstrated not only the necessity of press responsibility, but also the fact that were it not for the blogosphere, decent and intelligent coverage of the war would be hard to come by.
At the same time, some degree of prudence is wise. The details of things best left secret are often inadvertently scattered among a dozen or so press reports, waiting to be reassembled into a coherent whole. Such is the craft -- and the joy -- of open-source intelligence analysis. So even if my material is 100% open-source and vetted by CentCom or other commands, the cat can sometimes be walked back in a manner that was not intended.
I consulted with several folks in developing my policy: a retired Green Beret officer, who now blogs and has lots more operational experience than me, an active duty Captain in the Marine Corps who is a friend and always has good advice, a couple of other prominent bloggers who I'll keep anonymous, and of course, my ever-faithful partner in crime and good friend Bill Roggio.
This is the policy I've developed:
1. The Adventures of Chester only uses 100% open-source material in its discussions of ongoing US military operations. The goal is to offer insight that is lacking in traditional media outlets.I think it is always good for private organizations to police themselves in these things; otherwise draconian measures will be instituted by the authorities. Incidentally, if I'm allowed a bit of editorializing, Public Affairs officials in general would be wise to develop regular communications with bloggers like me. Certainly they are falling all over themselves to deal with press inquiries from folks like those at Newsweek. But those of us in the blogosphere are more likely to cover ongoing operations with a great deal more clarity and a great deal less spin. Having good relationships with us would go a long way toward projecting desired command messages.2. If I ever have access to classified material I will either stop blogging altogether, or radically alter the content of this blog.
3. When I mention casualty reports, I will assume that the report has been scrubbed by the authorities and that family members are being appropriately notified.
4. I will be extremely judicious in divulging US military doctrine that may offer insight into aspects of a battle which have not been covered explicitly. For example, if a news report mentions a specific tactical maneuver in layman's terms, I may give a fuller description of it. But if common sense and military doctrine would indicate that certain actions are taking place which are not mentioned in news reports, I will use my best judgment in drawing attention to them.
5. I will shift or alter my coverage at the request of Public Affairs officials who are aware of ongoing operations and can speak on the behalf of units involved. In order to request a correction or change, you must be a Public Affairs official, or be able to speak for a command. Email me with your request. The more detailed the better as it is easier for me to shift my coverage, or leave some stones unturned than it is for me to stop altogether, though given the correct circumstances and reasons I will consider either. In addtion, if a certain detail has been released in a press report when it should have remained unknown, I am happy to assist in finding the error so that appropriate future action may be taken to prevent a reoccurrence.
Your email must contain detailed signature and reply information and I must be able to verify your position.
6. I reserve the right to alter this policy at my discretion. If I do so, I will announce the changes in a future post.
7. This is an open-source policy. Other bloggers are free to take all or portions of this policy and make it their own. If you do so, you need not attribute it to me, but please email me if you make any changes to it. I'd like to know what policies others adopt.
I welcome feedback from readers on these issues.
The new policy is posted in a new link in the sidebar for future reference.
UPDATE: The link is up in the sidebar: here.
Posted by Chester at May 19, 2005 12:12 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.theadventuresofchester.com/MT/mt-tb.cgi/685