http://www.ideagrove.com/blog/2006/02/dont-forget-your-flack-jacket.html The Idea Grove is a full-service agency specializing in public relations, marketing and Web design. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:07:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.ideagrove.com/blog/2006/02/dont-forget-your-flack-jacket.html/comment-page-1#comment-819 Leslie Sat, 18 Feb 2006 16:23:00 +0000 http://www.ideagrove.com/weblog/?p=670#comment-819 You make an interesting point about the nature of the press in the Arab states. While significant progress has been made, you're right that most media outlets are controlled by the government and/or the ruling families. A report in Blog Herald last October indicated that there were over 700,000 blogs in Iran. Even if that number is inflated by two orders of magnitude, it's still substantial. The Pentagon (or more properly the Intelligence Community) would be better served by engaging those writers, than creating their own blogs. There's an active and vital online community in the countries of the Middle East. They've successfully used SMS text messaging and various forms of online media to mount boycotts and even to stage protests. As with other aspects of the region, the Administration needs to learn more about these existing communities and find appropriate was to engage in their conversations ... versus creating more self-serving (and therefore ineffective) propaganda machines. You make an interesting point about the nature of the press in the Arab states. While significant progress has been made, you’re right that most media outlets are controlled by the government and/or the ruling families. A report in Blog Herald last October indicated that there were over 700,000 blogs in Iran. Even if that number is inflated by two orders of magnitude, it’s still substantial. The Pentagon (or more properly the Intelligence Community) would be better served by engaging those writers, than creating their own blogs. There’s an active and vital online community in the countries of the Middle East. They’ve successfully used SMS text messaging and various forms of online media to mount boycotts and even to stage protests. As with other aspects of the region, the Administration needs to learn more about these existing communities and find appropriate was to engage in their conversations … versus creating more self-serving (and therefore ineffective) propaganda machines.

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