School of Media and Communication

Phil Taylor's papers

BACK TO : MILITARY-MEDIA RELATIONS

MoD memo (Jan 2004) on Media Operations in Iraq 2003


http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmdfence/57/57we15.htm


Select Committee on Defence Written Evidence





Further memorandum from the Ministry of Defence on media issues (January 2004)


(Q1362-65) Media Operations Planning Timelines


MoD planning for the Media Operation to support Op Telic started in earnest in late autumn 2002, as an adjunct to the mainstream planning that was being conducted within the Department and PJHQ. Prior to that, some contingency considerations had been undertaken, but these were aimed only at looking at in-place doctrine, procedures and arrangements to ensure that should planning demands pick up that media-related activities could respond.


Detailed timelines for planning within DGCC and PJHQ were as follows:



October/November 2002

- Watching brief.

- Outline planning in support for Defence Crisis Management Centre.

- Initial considerations of the Media Ops capability requirement - personnel and equipment.

- Initial considerations of Green Book arrangements.

December 2002

- Participation in US-led Ex INTERNAL LOOK, which included a media ops element.

- Further refinement of possible in-theatre media arrangements.

- Further refinement of capability requirements.

- Nomination of key individuals - Spokesmen and Media Advisers.

January 2003

- Comprehensive DGCC/PJHQ Media Ops Stocktake.

- Agreed equipment acquisition plan and funding.

- DGCC brief to Broadcast Editors re Green Book arrangements and the embedding arrangements.

- Similar but separate brief to Print Editors.

- DGCC/PJHQ briefing to Spokesmen and Media Advisers.

February 2003

- DGCC/D News visit to US DOD with Mr Hoon

- DGCC agree operating procedures for incidents with PJHQ.

- Refinement of Embedded War Correspondent plan

- Detailed manning for Media Operations confirmed

March 2003

- DGCC Operational Procedures Rehearsal.

- War Correspondent numbers and nominations finalised.

- War Correspondent training and deployment to theatre.

- Press Office re-organised for 24/7 operation.
MINISTERIAL INVOLVEMENT

Ministers were briefed on planning as a whole, throughout the planning process, and were kept abreast of the main decisions and developments in the Media Operation but were not involved in specific Media Operations planning.


NO 10 INVOLVEMENT

In terms of the preparation and planning of the media operation there was no specific No 10 Press Office involvement, although the usual, daily, No10 chaired inter-departmental media coordination meeting took place throughout. In addition, during the most intense phase there was a No 10 chaired weekly inter-departmental overview meeting to discuss media issues amongst the Departments concerned.


(Q1410) A note on the costs of the media operation


Planning for operations in Iraq envisaged the deployment of upwards of 170 Media Operations Staff to engage with the media, provide advice to Comds and act as spokespeople. This was to be achieved through the augmentation of HQ Media Ops staff and the formation of Press Information Centres. Activities to be planned for were as follows:



- Media Operations planning.

- Provision of advice.

- Engaging with and escorting the Media.

- Media briefings and conferences.

- Co-ordination and management of media facilities.

- Passage of media related information at rapid tempo

- External and Internal communications.
Some costs are inevitably impossible to extract from overall expenditures, particularly as costs for media related activities in theatre, where the bulk of the activity took place, were not accounted for separately. The most significant extra costs, imposed by the need to maintain effective and rapid response to the evolving situation and meet the media's appetite for information, came from the requirement to equip the Media Operations effort for operations in Quatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and, eventually, Iraq. It was also necessary to ensure that the Media Operations Group was self-sufficient and capable of enduring through a sustained campaign.


As the levels of equipment capability (specialist and military) were insufficient to meet this requirement, further UOR investment was necessary as follows:



Deployable "Flyaway" kits ( IT/Comms) 257,000
Office eqpt 10,000
Media Production eqpt (CCT, web) 39,000
AV suite of eqpt 30,000
Flightcases 5,000
Consumables 50,000
Total 391,000




(Q1426) A list of embedded journalists and the units to which they were allocated


Notes:



- This allocation was based on Green Book guidelines, with the actual choices of names for each unit made by the representative media bodies, not MOD.

- This list also includes broadcast technicians.



Last Name First Name Organisation Unit
1. Adams Bruce Daily Mail HCR
2. Adrian Stephen BBC RAF Ali al Salem
3. Agar Terry ITN 1 UK Div FPIC
4. Allen Vanessa PA 2 CS Regt RLC
5. Allen Karen BBC RAF Ali al Salem
6. Andersson Hilary BBC 1 UK Div FPIC
7. Arnold Harry Daily Mirror RAF Ali al Salem
8. Ashdown Richard PA 2 CS Regt RLC
9. Baker Dai Ch4 News 7 PARA RHA
10. Barker Chris BBC Documentary RAF
11. Barkham Patrick Times RFA Argus
12. Begg Donald ITN 1 UK Div FPIC
13. Bendix Kathryn BBC Documentary RAF
14. Bentham Martin Sunday Telegraph Scots DG
15. Boon John BBC JHC
16. Bowden David Sky HQ 3 Cdo Bde
17. Boyce Russell Reuters RAF Al Jaber
18. Bremner Juliet ITN 1 RRF
19. Brown Ben BBC 1 UK Div FPIC
20. Bruce Ian Glasgow Herald 1 BW
21. Buckmaster Jonathan Daily Express HMS OCEAN
22. Bucktin Chris News of the World 23 Engr Regt
23. Butcher Tim Daily Telegraph HQ 3 Cdo Bde
24. Campbell Eugene ITN HMS ARK ROYAL
25. Carling Michael BBC HMS MARLBOROUGH
26. Cathcart James BBC HMS ARK ROYAL
27. Catherwood Andrea ITN JHC
28. Chamberlain Gethin Scotsman 1 BW
29. Charles Jonathan BBC JHC
30. Chung Dan Guardian 2 GS Regt RLC
31. Conway Darren BBC 40 Cdo
32. Cooke Jeremy BBC 3 PARA
33. Cooper Graham BBC Documentary RAF
34. Corp Rachel ITN 1 RMP
35. Craven Nick Daily Mail 3 PARA
36. Cubitt Greig ITN RAF Al Jaber
37. Darling Jim Freelance Cdo Log
38. Dewhurst Ronnie Sky 1 R IRISH
39. Dillon Martin Manchester E/News 7 PARA RHA
40. Donnelly Michael Sky HQ 3 Cdo Bde
41. Donnelly Dick ITN HQ 3 Cdo Bde
42. Doyle Martin BBC 1 UK Div FPIC
43. Dukes Rob ITN RFA Sir Bedivere
44. Eaton Richard Carlton RAF Al Jaber
45. Edwards Richard Western Daily Press 42 Cdo
46. Evans Alan W Midlands Express/Star 102 Log Bde
47. Ewart Tim ITN 1 RMP
48. Feast Robert BBC 1 UK Div FPIC
49. Ferguson Susie BFBS 1 RRF
50. Fisher Matthew BBC Documentary RN
51. Foster Stephen BBC Documentary RAF
52. Franks Tim BBC 1 UK Div FPIC
53. Fraser-Andrews James Ipswich Evening Star 3 Regt AAC
54. Gaisford Richard GMTV SCOTS DG
55. Gillan Audrey Guardian HCR
56. Gilmartin Shaun Carlton 70/30 Sqn RAF
57. Goff Jim Sixth Sense 1 UK Div FPIC
58. Goodwin Phillip BBC HMS OCEAN
59. Graff Peter Reuters HMS YORK
60. Graham Terry BFBS 1 UK Div FPIC
61. Gray Steven BBC Documentary RN
62. Grover Paul Daily Telegraph D Sqn QDG
63. Hallsworth Neil CNN 2 RTR
64. Harding Andrew BBC HMS OCEAN
65. Haresign Anne BFBS 1 UK Div FPIC
66. Hargreaves Richard Portsmouth News HMS MARLBOROUGH
67. Harman Dave ITN 42 Cdo
68. Harris Janet BBC Documentary Army
69. Harris Paul Observer 2 CS Regt RLC
70. Harrison David Sunday Telegraph HMS LIVERPOOL
71. Harrison Kieth W Midlands Express/Star 102 Log Bde
72. Harvey Neil BBC Documentary Army
73. Hearn Mark BFBS RFA Fort Victoria
74. Hemmings Tony ITN 1 RRF
75. Herbert Andrew BBC 3 PARA
76. Heslop Graham ITN 1 UK Div FPIC
77. Higgins Rory BFBS 1 UK Div FPIC
78. Houston Simon Scot Daily Record SCOTS DG
79. Hurd Emma Sky 1 UK Div FPIC
80. Hird Steven Reuters 29 Regt RA
81. Ison Chris PA 1 PARA
82. Jackson Alistair Carlton RAF Al Jaber
83. Jones Colin BBC HMS ARK ROYAL
84. Jones Catherine Ch5 News 3 RHA
85. Jones Ian Daily Telegraph 3 Regt AAC
86. Judd Terri Independent 3 Regt AAC
87. Kretzschmar Cordelia GMTV 2 Bn REME
88. Lawrence Micky ITN 102 Log Bde
89. Lea Michael Sun RFA Argus
90. Lewis Geraldine BBC Documentary Army
91. Low Valentine Evening Standard D Sqn QDG
92. Magee Rob BBC 1 UK Div FPIC
93. Mangold Abigail BBC Documentary RAF
94. McDonald Peter ITN HQ 3 Cdo Bde
95. McMullen Paul Sunday Express RAF Al Jaber
96. Meszaros Antonia BBC Documentary Army
97. Milam Greg Sky 1 R IRISH
98. Mills John Western Daily Press 42 Cdo
99. Morris Kylie BBC 1 UK Div FPIC
100. Mowat Jonathan BBC Documentary RM
101. Muriel Diana CNN 2 RTR
102. Myrie Clive BBC 40 Cdo
103. Neely Bill ITN 42 Cdo
104. Newton-Dunn Tom Mirror 40 Cdo
105. Nicholls Mark Eastern Daily Press RAF Ali al Salem
106. Nicoletti Tony Scot Daily Record SCOTS DG
107. Oliver Sarah Mail on Sunday 1 R IRISH
108. Parker Nick Sun 3 RHA
109. Payne Stewart Daily Telegraph RAF Ali al Salem
110. Petit Martin GMTV SCOTS DG
111. Price Matthew BBC HMS ARK ROYAL
112. Queally Ray ITN 1 PARA
113. Reay-Smith Phillip Ch4 News 7 PARA RHA
114. Rees David Sky 1 UK Div FPIC
115. Rex Andy ITN 1 UK Div FPIC
116. Richards Mark Daily Mail 1 RRF
117. Richards Terry Sun HMS OCEAN
118. Ritson Julie BBC 1 UK Div FPIC
119. Rivers Dan ITN RFA Sir Bedivere
120. Roberts Brian News of the World 2 RTR
121. Roy Katie BFBS RFA Fort Victoria
122. Roy Andrew BBC 1 UK Div FPIC
123. Sears Neil Daily Mail HMS YORK
124. Sharrock David Times Cdo Log
125. Simms Andrew Soldier Magazine 1 UK Div FPIC
126. Skelton Rachael BBC Documentary RN
127. Stoddard Tom Freelance 539 ASRM
128. Swift Gregg Daily Express 1 GS Regt RLC
129. Tanner Stuart BBC Documentary RM
130. Taylor Sean BBC Documentary Army
131. Thompson Andrew BBC Documentary Army
132. Thompson Paul Sun RFA Sir Percivale
133. Thompson Alex ITN 1 UK Div FPIC
134. Thompson Alistair Ch5 News 3 RHA
135. Tuft Michael BBC Documentary RN
136. Vellacot James Daily Mirror 1 GS Regt RLC
137. Vince Keith BBC Documentary Army
138. Vincent Geraint ITN 1 PARA
139. Walker Simon Times HQ 3 Cdo Bde
140. Wall David ITN 1 UK Div FPIC
141. Wardman Phillip Sky 1 UK Div FPIC
142. Watson Harvey BBC 1 UK Div FPIC
143. Watts Timothy BBC Documentary RN
144. Wazir Burhan Observer 102 Log Bde
145. Weeks Romily ITN 102 Log Bde
146. Weston Michael Soldier Magazine 1 UK Div FPIC
147. Whitehead Tom PA 59 Indep Cdo RE
148. Whitford Steven BBC Documentary Army
149. Wilson Jamie Guardian HMS MARLBOROUGH
150. Wilson Andrew Sky 1 UK Div FPIC
151. Wyatt Caroline BBC 1 UK Div FPIC









© Copyright Leeds 2014