KABUL, Afghanistan – NATO’s International Security Force (ISAF), based in Kabul, Afghanistan recently, launched Twitter, Facebook and YouTube sites with the goal of better communicating the message of its mission and accomplishments to audiences of the 28-member states plus, non-NATO troop contributing nations to ISAF.
Bringing together multiple elements of social media under a single umbrella was the goal of ISAF new media efforts.
ISAF’s most important tool in combating insurgent misinformation and propaganda is its own information, which is comprised of transparency not embraced by insurgent elements within Afghanistan.
An additional benefit offered by “new” or “social” media is the opportunity for audiences to interact directly with ISAF, to share their opinions, while engaging in dialogue on many of the important issues currently facing Afghanistan. Neither the insurgents, nor traditional communication venues, offer this opportunity.
For the past year ISAF’s Multi-Purpose Public Affairs Team has utilized the U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System, more popularly known as DVIDS, and Flickr, a photo sharing website, to share uploaded video and still imagery with journalists and the public. With the addition of Facebook and YouTube, viewers will now have multiple avenues for receiving ISAF-related content.
In order to ensure ISAF’s continued relevance in the information realm, multiple technologies and new media applications are being explored, many of which may have been considered irrelevant years ago, but have since evolved into relevant and mainstream communications avenues. These will be used to complement more traditional communication means.
Allied Joint Forces Command-Brunssum and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) have also become more open to nontraditional communication venues with the launches of their own Facebook and Twitter sites.
Facebook, a social networking site, enables subscribers to get a fuller view of the situation in Afghanistan, while YouTube viewers will be able to see video features and updates with Afghan citizens, Afghan National Security Forces and ISAF troops, as well as, ongoing security and reconstruction projects throughout the country.
Twitter is a site designed to help people communicate and share information through the exchange of quick, short text messages that are no longer than 140 characters, which may be delivered via mobile phone or email.
Through Twitter, audiences will have the opportunity to keep updated on ISAF activities, ask questions and follow the latest developments in Afghanistan.
As the media paradigm has shifted over the past two decades, to one in which bloggers have become as effective as established outlets, the Internet will increasingly occupy a more important role in the exchange of information, and ultimately, lead to a logical shift from monologue-based communication to participatory dialogue.
With that in mind ISAF plans on leveraging existing and future new media technologies to effectively participate in that dialogue.
Visit ISAF on the Web at ISAFmedia.com or on Twitter (twitter.com/
