Military paying $20 million for PR firm to spin Iraq

[edward]

Just What Iraq Needs: More Spin
Topics: international | propaganda | public relations | Iraq
Source: Washington Post, August 31, 2006

The U.S.-led military force in Iraq is asking for bids on a two-year, $20 million PR contract. The goal is "to effectively communicate Iraqi government and coalition's goals, and build support among our strategic audiences." The work includes monitoring "Iraqi, pan-Arabic, international and U.S. national and regional markets media in both Arabic and English," including U.S. TV, wire services and newspapers like the New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. News of "security, reconstruction activities, 'high profile' coalition force activities and events in which Iraqi security forces are 'in the lead'" will receive special attention. An anonymous PR practitioner told the Post that military commanders want news "to be received by audiences as it is transmitted ... they don't like how it turns out." O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports that the contract is currently held by the Rendon Group, and "appears to mirror efforts initially handled by the Lincoln Group."

I have a gut feeling we are going to be seeing televison (political type) commercials spinning Iraq to the American people, and taxpayer funded obviously. Hmm I wonder if they have to abide by the truth in advertizing laws.

 

[Hurkyl]

At the risk of being pedantic... "public relations" is not synonymous with "spin".

 

[edward]

At the risk of being pedantic... "public relations" is not synonymous with "spin".

I think thanks to Karl Rove it is now.