1. Session 12
The US Department of Defense and its
Photographic Strategy in Flickr
“The U.S. is engaged in an international struggle of ideas and ideologies, which requires a
more extensive, sophisticated use of communications and public diplomacy programs to
gain support for U.S. policies abroad. To effectively wage this struggle, public diplomacy
must be treated—along with defense, homeland security and intelligence—as a national
security priority in terms of resources”.— US Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy
and Public Affairs (US Department of State, 2007, p. 11)
“The battle of the narrative is a full-blown battle in the cognitive dimension of the
information environment, just as traditional warfare is fought in the physical domains
(air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace)….a key component of the ‘Battle of the Narrative’
is to succeed in establishing the reasons for and potential outcomes of the conflict, on
terms favorable to your efforts. Upon our winning the battle of the narrative, the enemy
narrative doesn’t just diminish in appeal or followership, it becomes irrelevant. The
entire struggle is completely redefined in a different setting and purpose”.—US Joint
Forces Command (2010, pp. xiii–xiv)

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2007, State Department: U.S. National Strategy for Public Diplomacy and
Strategic Communication
2006, Department of Defense: Execution Roadmap for Strategic
Communication
Obama, “engagement”: “mutual interest”; the US “plays a constructive
role in global affairs”; the US as a “respectful partner”
Strategic Objectives:
1) projecting “American values” by offering a “positive vision of hope
and opportunity”;
2) marginalizing “violent extremists” in order to defend the values
cherished by the “civilized”; and,
3) working to “nurture common interests and values” between
Americans and peoples around the globe (DoS, 2007, p. 3)

3. Strategic Audiences:
1) “key influencers”;
2) “vulnerable” groups; and,
3) “mass audiences” (DoS, 2007, pp. 4–5)
(A) “diverse populations” of the world share “our common interests
and values” (DoS, 2007, p. 12 also p. 3)
(B) Need audience analysis, “so we can better understand how citizens
of other countries view us and what values and interests we have in
common”(DoS, 2007, p. 10).
“reminding”: “all individuals, men and women, are equal and entitled to
basic human rights, including freedom of speech, worship and political
participation….all people deserve to live in just societies that protect
individual and common rights, fight corruption and are governed by the
rule of law” (DoS, 2007, pp. 2, 12)

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 9,963 images, spanning 2009 to 2014
 40+ documents
 Why the DoD?
 No assumptions about the nature of the “audiences”
 Photograph: “a document which often reveals as much (if not
more) about the individuals and society which produced the
image than it does about its subject(s)” (Wright, 1999, p. 4)
 Cultural conventions
 Staging

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Public Affairs (PA) Operations: “communicating information about military
activities to domestic, international, and internal audiences,” “community
engagement activities” (DoD, 2008, pp. 1, 9); designed “to assure the trust and
confidence of U.S. population, friends and allies, deter and dissuade adversaries,
and counter misinformation and disinformation ensuring effective, culturally
appropriate information delivery in regional languages” (DoD, 2008, p. 2)
Public Diplomacy: “those overt international public information activities of the
United States Government designed to promote United States foreign policy
objectives by seeking to understand, inform, and influence foreign audiences and
opinion makers, and by broadening the dialogue between American citizens and
institutions and their counterparts abroad”; “civilian agency efforts to promote
an understanding of the reconstruction efforts, rule of law, and civic
responsibility through public affairs and international public diplomacy
operations” (DoD, 2010a, pp. 214–215; DoD, 2012, p. xvi)

6. Strategic Communication (SC): “focused USG efforts to understand and engage
key audiences to create, strengthen, or preserve conditions favorable for the
advancement of USG interests, policies, and objectives through the use of
coordinated programs, plans, themes, messages, and products synchronized
with and leveraging the actions of all instruments of national power. SC
combines actions, words, and images to influence key audiences”. (DoD, 2011, p.
II-9).
 Improve U.S. credibility and legitimacy;
 Weaken an adversary’s credibility and legitimacy;
 Convince selected audiences to take specific actions that support U.S.
or international objectives;
 Cause a competitor or adversary to take (or refrain from taking)
specific actions. (DoD, 2009, p. 2)
The Internet; “shape emotions, motives, reasoning, and behaviors of
selected foreign entities” (DoD, 2007b, p. 1)—“psychological operations”
(DoD, 2006a, p. 10).

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“compelling stories (including pictures and videotape if possible) of how
American programs are impacting people’s lives”
“Use good pictures and images”:
“Well-choreographed pictures and images [that] convey emotion and/or
action as well as a convincing story” (DoS, 2007, p. 26)

8.  Before any event, think through a desired picture that would best capture and tell the story of
the event.
 Where should the photo be taken—what is the background? The background should help
convey where you are—the country, the city, the building, the environment. Should there be a
flag in the background? Is there a banner behind or in front of the podium? Is a recognizable
part of the building visible? What part of the building is recognizable?
 Who should be in the picture? The principal along with those who are the focus of the event
should be in the picture to help convey the story. Musicians? Youth? Government officials? E.g.,
if the Ambassador and State Minister for Education are speaking at a Fulbright event, make sure
to get shots not just of the officials speaking but with Fulbright grantees in the photo.
 What is the action or the emotion? Are they dancing? Talking? Listening? Learning?
Enthusiastic? Include props if that helps convey the story. E.g., if the Ambassador is meeting
with 4th graders to give out books, the photo should include students holding the books, youth
reading, pointing to a picture in the book, etc.
 The photographer should think through the location for the photo with all of the technical
considerations in mind—not shooting into the sun, not in front of reflective glass or a mirror, not
in shade or shadows, etc. The key people who need to be included in the shot should be
identified.
 Look for the action or emotion. For action shots, get a tight shot rather than wide. A tight shot
will convey more emotion in addition to the story. E.g., for a U.S. military big band in town with
swing dancers, rather than capturing the whole crowd, pick out one couple in full enthusiastic
swing dancing in front of a large U.S. flag and banner of the event so the country and occasion
are conveyed”. (DoS, 2007, p. 26)

9. US Army: “a picture really is worth a thousand words” (US Army, 2010b,
p. 21)
“Visual Information Operations” (US Army, 2009a):
a) Readiness Posture Imagery
b) Significant Operations Imagery
c) Significant Programs and Projects Imagery
d) Civil Military Involvement Imagery
e) Construction Imagery
f) Significant Military Events Imagery
g) Military Life Imagery

10. CCOONNCCLLUUSSIIOONNSS??
The US Military:
 World’s biggest charitable association, a NGO
 Big Chief
 Foster parent to the world’s orphans
 World’s doctor, nurse, babysitter
 Bringer of gifts
 Healthy & happy
 Everywhere, always
 Technology is the solution
 regular patterns: intentional & conventional
 Deterrence and “counter-terrorism” with a smile
 Gift giving
 “American values” misread as “universal values”; learned emotions
 A drone’s world-view: speed and ubiquity