February 21, 2007
by Steve Hammons

According to published news reports, the Bush administration has continued to seek public relations contractors to generate favorable news coverage about efforts in Iraq.

An announcement last summer explained one of the more recent projects of this kind would also monitor media coverage in the Middle East and in the U.S. The initial funding for this latest effort was reportedly $20 million.

It may be difficult to spin, sugar-coat or find enough positive stories in the Iraq War to overcome the grave concerns internationally, and by the majority of Americans, about the invasion and occupation of Iraq by the current U.S. administration.

Now, with the Bush administration reportedly planning for an attack on Iran, Americans and people around the world are even more concerned and more doubtful about the truthfulness and integrity of the Bush administration.

What are some effective ways to create positive public diplomacy, beneficial public relations and advantageous information operations that will work in the favor of the United States and our military efforts overseas?

Part of the answer includes our awareness that people around the world are looking at American society and the American people. They are trying to understand who we are, what we believe, what we stand for.

Americans, too, seem to be trying to figure this out. And we are struggling.

Who are the American people? What is our American culture? What aspects of our society are good and worthwhile and what elements are unhealthy or destructive?

And how can we communicate from the grassroots and heart of America to the rest of the world to explain the positive qualities of our nation?

INFLUENCE OPERATIONS

This recent $20 million project follows a long line of similar efforts. Over the last few years, public relations firms have been hired by the current administration to promote a positive image of U.S. policies in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Public diplomacy efforts have been launched to persuade people in other areas of the world that the efforts and actions of the U.S. administration are worthwhile and beneficial to them.

Here at home, very active projects to monitor and influence the U.S. media and the American people have been created, and continue today. These programs seek to persuade and promote certain perceptions and beliefs. The unethical nature of some of these efforts has been pointed out.

Huge amounts of money have been spent on these kinds of programs targeting Americans and people in the international community over the last few years. The effectiveness and success of these activities has been mixed.

These types of past efforts themselves may have been implemented with reasonable expertise. Current and new programs like this might also bring in intelligent people and have some benefit.

However, the underlying truth of the unilateral invasion and occupation of Iraq and troubling related matters have significantly damaged the reputation of the current U.S. administration and America internationally.

As a result, it seems very difficult to frame these actions in a way that creates goodwill toward current U.S. policies.

Many Americans have similarly not been convinced by these public relations and influence efforts of the current administration and some in Congress that the Iraq War was worthwhile or that it was entered into honestly and honorably.

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And there have been other activities of the Bush administration that are very disturbing to many Americans. Threats of attacks on Iran are just the latest among many disturbing trends and actions of the current administration.

Importantly, many people around the world may wrongly perceive that the Bush administration, its invasion of Iraq and similar policies are a reflection of the soul of the majority of Americans.

Correcting this misperception could be the key to improving the image of America internationally.

It could also be important in helping Americans find ourselves and rediscovering our honorable values, apparently lost or discarded in recent years by some citizens and government officials.

TECHNIQUE AND SUBSTANCE

A sound and effective public diplomacy and public information effort needs to include effective techniques. It is also useful to have solid substance that rings true to the target audiences.

In other words, there may be limited success if the public relations efforts are manipulating facts and realities, and selling false or misleading perceptions. People sometimes have a way of perceiving and understanding truth and lies.

Because of this, it is often helpful to communicate truthfully and honestly when implementing persuasion operations and programs.

In the military, these kinds of efforts are referred to as "information operations (IO)." Components of IO include psychological operations (PSYOP) and other kinds of communications and influence operations. They may be referred to as "perception warfare" or other kinds of terms.

These types of activities can use accurate and truthful information to simply communicate honestly, as well as real activities that win goodwill and friends for the U.S.

Propaganda is a term that can mean this kind of straightforward and ethical communication or it can mean a kind of "deception operation" that uses information and events to persuade in a dishonest way.

Going forward, any information operations, public diplomacy or public relations efforts attempted by the current administration will undoubtedly be looked at with suspicion, at home and abroad.

Because of the deterioration of respect and trust for the leaders of our current government, many Americans seem determined to take needed steps to correct our recent mistakes.

This is the substance that can form the core of future information operations about the U.S. This could change the current disastrous situation to a promising and successful future for the way the rest of the world sees America and Americans, and how we see ourselves.

When we do adjust our course, we will show the world that our nation and our people can be trusted once again. We will demonstrate that we are honorable.

We will prove that democracy can work and a society can pull together to find a positive direction that helps itself, its friends, the international community and the human race.

That is the most powerful psychological operation we can launch.

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Steve Hammons [send him email] has worked as a journalist, editor, counselor, juvenile probation peace officer, public safety urgent-response specialist, teacher, instructor and US Government researcher. He graduated from Ohio University with studies in communications/journalism, health education/psychology and pre-law. Hammons's two novels, Mission into Light and Light's Hand, tell the story of a US joint-service military and intelligence research team investigating emerging special topics. Visit the novels' home page at: www.navyseals.com/community/members/ohio52