I had the opportunity to participate yesterday morning in a bloggers' round table conference call with Rear Admiral Mark Fox, Communications Division Chief, Strategic Effects, MNF-I. I asked him what technology he had that was helping him do his job.
His answer: YouTube.
Fox was quick to promote the work his unit is doing getting the word out using Web 2.0 rage YouTube.
OBE, Admiral Fox! I wrote about your YouTube page two weeks ago! ;-)
But, seriously, Fox said one of the problems they were trying to solve with their YouTube site was video rolling off of their other news pages after only one news cycle. There were certain stories they wanted to highlight. They want to allow middle America access to interesting video from Iraq, like Predator videos and video of night vision technology at work, Fox said.
Fox said the YouTube channel is taking off. As of right now, they have 1344 subscribers and have had 94,852 channel views. Contrast those numbers with the 30 subscribers and 1,372 channel views visible in the graphic from my previous post. He also noted that their site is the 12th most subscribed channel on YouTube this week
The most popular video on their channel, by far, is Battle on Haifa Street with 100,962 views, 78 comments and favorited 161 times.
American infantry and snipers from the U.S. Army's 3rd Stryker Brigade team up with Iraqi soldiers from the 6th Iraqi Army Division during a firefight on Baghdad's notorious Haifa Street, January 2007.
One other communications win Fox mentioned was the establishment of a new independent radio and television network in Diyala Province Sunday.
From the The Pentagon Channel to YouTube, defense officials are apparently learning that if you can't beat 'em, join them. Ironic that it is still so hard to get a Pentagon press pass these days ...
--Sean Meade
I wonder about the Pentagon's media smarts.
The You Tube Idea is clearly a good Idea. The Battle on Haifa Street has the feel of a Al Qaeda propaganda video, not necessarily a bad Idea for the part of this battle that is propaganda. The rest of the video's show a military doing its job ,boring ,but in a way reassuring.
Its handling of the non MSM is much less comforting. Michale Yon who's reporting has been generally positive, but not always, reports in his latest post about the incompetence of the Military information department. The Military still doesnt get it. The fact that they still don't get it at this late date makes one wonder.
it.http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/rubs-2.htm
Posted by: Peter | March 30, 2007 at 11:33 AM