Analysis of the Pentagon's Press Pool Tests
Abstract
On April 20, 1985, the Pentagon conducted the first in a series of tests of the Department of Defense (DOD) press pool. A result of the uproar raised over the media's exclusion from the American invasion of the island of Grenada in October 1983, the tests seek to determine whether the press can provide the media with the means to access and report the initial phases of an armed conflict involving U.S. ground forces, and, at the same time, prevent premature disclosure of military operations. After a historical review of the development of the press pool, the study established a set of objectives that both the military and the media wanted to accomplish during the press pool tests. Using these objectives as criterion, this study's purpose was to evaluate the first four tests of the DOD press pool. Using the qualitative research method, the study reviewed unclassified Pentagon after-action reports of the tests, and the newspaper and magazine articles about the tests. Although the study found that the tests were successful, it also determined that more overseas deployments of the DOD press pool are required to adequately define the role of the press pool.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 14, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA232456
Entities
People
- William G. Ackerly