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Military

APPENDIX

Directive From Gen. Colin Powell,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

JOINT STAFF
INFO SERVICE CENTER

IMMEDIATE
0 182305Z MAY 90

FM CJCS, WASHINGTON, DC
TO USCINCLANT NORFOLK VA USCINCSPACE PETERSON AFB

UNCLAS
SUBJECT: DOD National Media Pool Planning Requirements

1. The recent DOD National Media Pool deployment to Panama for OPERATION JUST CAUSE was its first deployment to cover an actual combat operation. A DOD analysis of the deployment, which included comments from the reporters in the Panama pool, the commands involved, and the military escorts, revealed several areas that need to be improved in the operational planning process and governing policies for the pool.
2. The DOD National Media Pool was developed by the Department of Defense because of problems in handling media aspects of the Grenada operation. After that operation, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff convened the Sidle Panel to determine how best to accommodate the legitimate needs of the media to report on military operations. The panel concluded that military operations should have open media coverage whenever possible. However, for operational security, it suggested establishing a small pool of media to cover an operation until open coverage could be arranged. Consequently, in 1985, the Secretary of Defense established the DOD National Media Pool, consisting of a small contingent of media, which remains on alert in Washington, D.C., and is available for immediate worldwide deployment.
3. The Grenada and Panama operations clearly revealed the media's need for access to information. During the first 24 hours of the Grenada action, more than 600 reporters attempted to gain access to the operation. In Panama more than 800 reporters eventually arrived on-scene. In both cases, the large number of journalists overwhelmed the assets available to support them. Alternatively, the National Media Pool, consisting of up to 16 media and 3 escort officers, is structured to provide media coverage of military activities until the command has had time to stabilize the situation and establish open media coverage. Once open coverage is achieved, the pool is to be disbanded.
4. Although the media pool was deployed during OPERATION JUST CAUSE, it was unable to cover the military action until the second day and, consequently, did not perform as planned. The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) and the Joint Staff are working together to evaluate and solve the problems the media pool experienced during OPERATION JUST CAUSE. These solutions will be incorporated into a new DOD directive on the National Media Pool, which will be forwarded to all commands and the services for staffing in the next few months. Until implementation of the new instruction, this message contains the basic guidance to be used in planning for accommodating a DOD media pool during both exercises and contingency operations.
5. Commanders are reminded that military actions in Grenada and Panama demonstrated that otherwise successful operations are not total successes unless the media aspects are properly handled. Both operations, although successful, produced some unfavorable and often incorrect news stories, which detracted from the operation.
6. Commanders are reminded that the media aspects of military operations are important, will get national and international attention, and warrant your personal attention. As stated in the joint operational planning guidance, JOPS Volume IV, planning for the DOD National Media Pool is a requirement for all contingency plans. Additionally, such planning should be incorporated into all Part I significant military exercises (except for CPX, nuclear accidents/incidents, and combined/joint special operations exercises/FTXs). Media coverage and pool support requirements must be planned simultaneously with operational plans and should address all aspects of operational activity, including direct combat, medical, prisoner-of-war, refugee, equipment repair, refueling and rearming, civic action, and stabilization activities. Public Affairs annexes should receive command attention when formulating and reviewing all such plans.
7. Commanders are reminded that host nation sensitivities should be considered in planning to receive the national media pool. Commanders should work closely with the country team to effect appropriate host nation coordination.
8. The next deployment of the National Media Pool may occur at any time to either an exercise or real-world contingency operation. As a minimum the pool will require the following theater support:

A. Daily, comprehensive, unclassified operational briefings for pool personnel.
B. Access to areas of ongoing combat/exercise operations. The media realize and accept there is an element of risk involved in accompanying military forces into combat. Their personal safety is not a reason for excluding them from an area of ongoing operations. Essentially, the goal should be to treat reporters as members of the units. Allowing them to move with the units, without recklessly exposing them to hostile fire. Whenever possible, their coverage should be from positions of reasonable safety.
C. Reasonable access to key command and staff personnel. All Information given out by these personnel will be unclassified and on the record.
D. An officer from the supported command in the grade of 0-5 or 0-6 to coordinate media pool requirements. This officer would normally be the command PAO and should be intimately familiar with media pool operations, the ongoing operation, and participating commands. This officer should have immediate and unrestricted access to the commander to resolve media pool problems as they arise.
E. Itinerary planning that will enable media pool members to disperse throughout the combat area in order to provide balanced coverage of operations, and to regroup periodically to share information and file stories. Commands should plan from the onset of the operation to divide the pool into small elements from 1-3 persons, to disperse those elements throughout the area of operation to facilitate coverage of the entire operation, to periodically return them to a central location to pool their material, and then to return them to the operational area so that they may continue covering the operational area so that they may continue covering the operational activities. This cycle should be repeated throughout the deployment, at a minimum of once a day.
F. Cooperation from all forces participating in the operation/exercise on a not-to-interfere basis. News media representatives have a legitimate role to fulfill in a combat area. Since the earliest days of our nation, they have helped the military services and DOD keep the American public informed of the activities of the U.S. armed forces.
9. Supported commanders will be responsible for planning logistical support for pool and escort personnel out of existing exercise or contingency funds. The National Media Pool may consist of up to 16 media personnel and 3 escort officers (2 DOD and 1 JCS). Required support may include, but may not be limited to:
A. Existing contingency/exercise airlift from CONUS to area of operations or exercise and return.
B. Theater ground, sea, and air transportation to allow for pool coverage of operations.
C. Messing and billeting on a reimbursable basis.
D. Issuance of any gear considered appropriate to the situation (e.g., helmets, canteens, flak vests, etc.)
E. Access to communications facilities to file stories on a expedited basis.
F. Medical support as required.



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